topic ArcPy script tool overwriting content in ArcGIS Pro Questions

ArcPy script tool overwriting content

AliciaMcMurchie1 — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 21:02:56 GMT

def main (): #importArcPy import arcpy #import os import os #import module import arcpy.da #set variables raw_input = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0) output_GDB = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(1) var_shape = os.path.join(output_GDB, os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(raw_input))[0]) service_change = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(2) effective_date = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(3) service_change_param = "'" + service_change + "'" effective_date_param = "'" + effective_date + "'" if arcpy.Exists(var_shape): arcpy.AddError("A feature class using the name var_shape already exists in the output Geodatabase. Exiting tool.") sys.exit(0) else: try: def export (): #will need to set input and output as a parameters. Output, when set as a parameter, will be the SAME as the environment workspace parameter arcpy.conversion.FeatureClassToGeodatabase(raw_input,output_GDB) def prep (): #set up workspace #this will need to be a parameter - the SAME as the output GDB in the export function arcpy.env.workspace = output_GDB #add new field to shapefile arcpy.management.AddField( in_table=var_shape, field_name="ROUTE", field_type="LONG", field_precision=None, field_scale=None, field_length=None, field_alias="", field_is_nullable="NULLABLE", field_is_required="NON_REQUIRED", field_domain="" ) #set field variables var_shape_fields = ['VAR_ROUTE','ROUTE'] #use Update Cursors with arcpy.da.UpdateCursor(var_shape, var_shape_fields) as cursor: #for each row, evaluate VAR_ROUTE string and plan to update ROUTE with route number as integer for row in cursor: row[1] = int(row[0]) #Update each row in table cursor.updateRow(row) arcpy.AddMessage("prep done") def deletefield (): #delete the VAR_ROUTE field that was in Text data type arcpy.management.DeleteField( in_table=var_shape, drop_field="VAR_ROUTE", method="DELETE_FIELDS" ) def new_fields(): #add new field for dates arcpy.management.AddField( in_table=var_shape, field_name="SERVICE_CHANGE", field_type="DATE", field_precision=None, field_scale=None, field_length=None, field_alias="", field_is_nullable="NULLABLE", field_is_required="NON_REQUIRED", field_domain="" ) arcpy.management.AddField( in_table=var_shape, field_name="EFFECTIVE_DATE_START", field_type="DATE", field_precision=None, field_scale=None, field_length=None, field_alias="", field_is_nullable="NULLABLE", field_is_required="NON_REQUIRED", field_domain="" ) arcpy.AddMessage("new_field done") def add_dates(): #Expression will need to be set as a parameter arcpy.management.CalculateField( in_table=var_shape, field="SERVICE_CHANGE", expression=service_change_param, expression_type="SQL", code_block="", field_type="TEXT", enforce_domains="NO_ENFORCE_DOMAINS" ) arcpy.management.CalculateField( in_table=var_shape, field="EFFECTIVE_DATE_START", expression=effective_date_param, expression_type="SQL", code_block="", field_type="TEXT", enforce_domains="NO_ENFORCE_DOMAINS" ) arcpy.AddMessage("dates added") except Exception as exception: arcpy.AddError(exception) finally: arcpy.AddMessage("routes script completed") export() prep() deletefield() new_fields() add_dates() main()

I'm struggling to write an ArcPy script tool that exports a shapefile to an Enterprise GDB and then runs several geoprocessing steps on it. The input shape file is named "var_shape.shp". The script tool runs successfully, but if I rename the output feature class in the Enterprise GDB to something like var_shape_00 and then rerun the tool, var_shape_00 gets overwritten by the next export. What can I do to avoid this? Here's the top of the script tool, where things go wrong:

Re: ArcPy script tool overwriting content

DavidPike — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 20:58:59 GMT

Nothing immediately obvious to me, If there's an operation to clear out data from the GDB then I can't see it.

I think you need to share your full code and also not a screenshot, it's not very helpful. Code formatting ... the Community Version - Esri Community

Re: ArcPy script tool overwriting content

AliciaMcMurchie1 — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 21:01:58 GMT

Thanks, I added that in. Obviously, I'm not very familiar with ArcPy, or Python in general.

Re: ArcPy script tool overwriting content

AliciaMcMurchie1 — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 21:33:52 GMT

I tried using arcpy.env.overwriteOutput=False at the beginning of the script. I thought it resolved the issue at first, but it appears it didn't.

Re: ArcPy script tool overwriting content

DanPatterson — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 22:15:53 GMT

Rename (Data Management)—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

doesn't make a backup copy, and it list the things it does

If you are trying to preserve a copy, then use Copy or Copy Features depending on the data source and destinations types

Copy (Data Management)—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

Copy Features (Data Management)—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

Re: ArcPy script tool overwriting content

AliciaMcMurchie1 — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 22:33:43 GMT

"Rename" has saved the day! A backup copy isn't needed, so this script has proven successful:

def main (): #importArcPy import arcpy #import os import os #import module import arcpy.da arcpy.env.overwriteOutput=False #set variables raw_input = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0) output_GDB = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(1) service_change = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(2) effective_date = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(3) new_name = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(4) route_file = os.path.join(output_GDB, os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(raw_input))[0]) new_file = os.path.join(output_GDB, os.path.splitext(new_name)[0]) service_change_param = "'" + service_change + "'" effective_date_param = "'" + effective_date + "'" if arcpy.Exists(route_file): arcpy.AddError("A feature class using the name var_shape already exists in the output Geodatabase. Exiting tool.") sys.exit(0) elif arcpy.Exists(new_file): arcpy.AddError("A feature class using the new name already exists in the output Geodatabase. Exiting tool.") sys.exit(0) else: try: def export (): #will need to set input and output as a parameters. Output, when set as a parameter, will be the SAME as the environment workspace parameter arcpy.env.overwriteOutput=False arcpy.conversion.FeatureClassToGeodatabase(raw_input,output_GDB) arcpy.management.Rename(route_file, new_name) def prep (): #set up workspace #this will need to be a parameter - the SAME as the output GDB in the export function arcpy.env.workspace = output_GDB arcpy.management.ClearWorkspaceCache(output_GDB) arcpy.env.overwriteOutput=False #add new field to shapefile arcpy.management.AddField( in_table=new_file, field_name="ROUTE", field_type="LONG", field_precision=None, field_scale=None, field_length=None, field_alias="", field_is_nullable="NULLABLE", field_is_required="NON_REQUIRED", field_domain="" ) #set field variables new_file_fields = ['VAR_ROUTE','ROUTE'] #use Update Cursors with arcpy.da.UpdateCursor(new_file, new_file_fields) as cursor: #for each row, evaluate VAR_ROUTE string and plan to update ROUTE with route number as integer for row in cursor: row[1] = int(row[0]) #Update each row in table cursor.updateRow(row) arcpy.AddMessage("prep done") def deletefield (): #delete the VAR_ROUTE field that was in Text data type arcpy.management.DeleteField( in_table=new_file, drop_field="VAR_ROUTE", method="DELETE_FIELDS" ) def new_fields(): #add new field for dates arcpy.management.AddField( in_table=new_file, field_name="SERVICE_CHANGE", field_type="DATE", field_precision=None, field_scale=None, field_length=None, field_alias="", field_is_nullable="NULLABLE", field_is_required="NON_REQUIRED", field_domain="" ) arcpy.management.AddField( in_table=new_file, field_name="EFFECTIVE_DATE_START", field_type="DATE", field_precision=None, field_scale=None, field_length=None, field_alias="", field_is_nullable="NULLABLE", field_is_required="NON_REQUIRED", field_domain="" ) arcpy.AddMessage("new_field done") def add_dates(): #Expression will need to be set as a parameter arcpy.management.CalculateField( in_table=new_file, field="SERVICE_CHANGE", expression=service_change_param, expression_type="SQL", code_block="", field_type="TEXT", enforce_domains="NO_ENFORCE_DOMAINS" ) arcpy.management.CalculateField( in_table=new_file, field="EFFECTIVE_DATE_START", expression=effective_date_param, expression_type="SQL", code_block="", field_type="TEXT", enforce_domains="NO_ENFORCE_DOMAINS" ) arcpy.AddMessage("dates added") except Exception as exception: arcpy.AddError(exception) finally: arcpy.AddMessage("routes script completed") export() prep() deletefield() new_fields() add_dates() main()