topic Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

LindsayRaabe_FPCWA — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 03:19:49 GMT

Hi Brains Trust. I thought this was a simple thing, but I can't quite figure it out. I want to be able to enter multi-line text into a Models string parameter, but it seems to only accept single line of text. Destination will be a string field in a feature class.

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

DanPatterson — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 03:36:43 GMT

There is multivalue, but not multiline (same in modelbuilder)

Setting script tool parameters—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

I suspect you want a "textbox" rather than a "textline" to display the full text of field entry

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

LindsayRaabe_FPCWA — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 03:40:32 GMT

I assume text boxes are not an option?

Could a text file work in place of a text line/box?

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

Luke_Pinner — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 04:51:04 GMT

Ugly workaround - use a "SQL Expression" datatype...?

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

LindsayRaabe_FPCWA — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 05:55:45 GMT

Thanks for the suggestion. I've had a look at that now and don't think that's really a viable option. Would it be possible to load the text in a text file (using the Text File variable) and use a python code to extract the text and calculate field?

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

LindsayRaabe_FPCWA — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 06:59:13 GMT

I feel like I'm getting closer - but still need guidance. I've created a Calculate Value Code Block as per below but have 2 problems (at least, 2 for now):

1. I can't figure out how to replace the written file path on line 4 with the pathway from the variable (which is a text file) i.e. path = (str_path). When I do, I get the below error.

2. When I run it successfully as per the original script, the output Value is still blank (at least as far as I can tell).

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

Luke_Pinner — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 22:46:51 GMT

You don't return anything from your function. Also, readlines() returns a list, not a string.

Here's a simpler version that returns a string containing the text of the file.

Expression:

Result(r"%Text File%")

Code block:

def Result(txtfile):
return open(txtfile).read()

You could probably even just use the following without a code block

Expression:

open(r"%Text File%").read()

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

LindsayRaabe_FPCWA — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 00:43:08 GMT

Nearly worked! It did indeed calculate the Value as you suggested (just using the Expression instead of the code block) but the calculate field step failed where it encountered the new line.

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

LindsayRaabe_FPCWA — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 02:23:30 GMT

Trying to fix the issue by turning the multiline text file into a single, long string. Started a new expression as per below, but the Code block keeps removing the \n and just moving the text onto a new line.

becomes this:

So I tried this too:

but get this error:

which is the same error I get from just running the field calculator with the original multiline text value. So frustating!

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

Luke_Pinner — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 03:38:25 GMT

Leave your new lines/ carriage returns in and just wrap in triple quotes instead of single quotes in the calculate field expression. String literals inside triple quotes, """ or ''', can span multiple lines of text.

r"""%Value%"""

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

LindsayRaabe_FPCWA — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 06:26:17 GMT

Thanks for the tip. I tried that in the Code Block and it still moved the following text to a new line....so I decided to try something else. I've created a python script with the function in it loaded as a script in my Toolbox and model with an input parameter (the path to my .txt file) and an output parameter (the new single-line string). I can get it to run the function successfully, removing "\n" and replacing it with "", and I WAS struggling to get the value out as a parameter I can feed into another model step, but have just discovered I had called the function result incorrectly.

Here's my methodology to get the text file input to a value I can use in Field Calculator:

And the code as a sample:

import re import arcpy inFile = open(arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)).read() def Result(Value): inValue = Value newValue = inValue.replace("\n", "") re.sub('\s{2,}', ' ', inValue) # To remove more than one space #print (newValue) return newValue outText = Result(inFile) arcpy.AddMessage(outText) #print(outText) arcpy.SetParameterAsText(1, outText)

A big thank you to @Luke_Pinner for your pointers. I would not have got this far without them.

Re: Multi-line text entry in Model Builder Parameter

PhilLarkin1 — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 01:48:28 GMT

This might help others who are at Pro 3.1

https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/arcpy/geoprocessing_and_python/parameter-controls.htm

# set self.params for use in other function self.params = arcpy.GetParameterInfo() # Multiline block of text self.params[1].controlCLSID = '{E5456E51-0C41-4797-9EE4-5269820C6F0E}'