topic Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse in Data Management Questions

Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

alfrednjeru — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 10:49:23 GMT

I have more than 40 feature classes in a file geodatabase. How do I rename all of them at once by replacing the prefix map212r1 with map208r1.

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

Asrujit_SenGupta — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:33:18 GMT

Check the below links and see if they help:

Batch Rename Feature Classes?

Renaming multiple Featureclasses

arcpy - How can I rename multiple feature classes (each different name) using Python? - Geographic Information Systems S…

Also please move this post to a more suitable place like https://community.esri.com/groups/geodatabase?sr=search&searchId=a6df4101-e03a-4920-aa87-e2ef90062826&searchIndex=0‌ https://community.esri.com/community/gis/managing-data?sr=search&searchId=a00da523-bc13-4839-a5b1-06e512f71c58&searchIndex=0‌ https://community.esri.com/community/developers/gis-developers/python?sr=search&searchId=04359912-2040-4385-9e27-da934b08209e&searchIndex=1‌

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:28:24 GMT

I will move to https://community.esri.com/community/gis/managing-data?sr=search&searchId=b5accd95-bd33-4ac7-988e-cac07ab49a77&searchIndex=1‌

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

XanderBakker — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 09:15:51 GMT

In addition to the explanation provided by Asrujit SenGupta , your python script would look something like this:

import arcpy
import os

ws = r'D:\myFolder\SubFolder\myGeodatabase.gdb'  # specify your workspace here
arcpy.env.workspace = ws

datasets = arcpy.ListDatasets("*")
datasets.append('')
for dataset in datasets:
    fc_names = arcpy.ListFeatureClasses("map212r1*", "", dataset)
    for fc_name in fc_names:
        out_name = fc_name.replace("map212r1", "map208r1")
        fc_in = os.path.join(ws, dataset, fc_name)
        fc_out = os.path.join(ws, dataset, out_name)
        arcpy.Rename_management(fc_in, fc_out)‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Situation before running script:

After running script:

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

JoshuaBixby — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 09:15:54 GMT

In addition to Xander Bakker‌'s code, it can also be done using ArcPy Walk, which is a newer function and behaves similarly to Python's native walk function:

import arcpy
import os

gdb = # path to geodatabase

walk = arcpy.da.Walk(gdb, datatype="FeatureClass")
for root, dirs, files in walk:
    rename = (name for name in files if "map212r1" in name)
    for fc in rename:
        arcpy.Rename_management(os.path.join(root, fc),
                                os.path.join(root, fc.replace("map212r1", "map208r1")))‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

alfrednjeru — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 14:00:01 GMT

Thanks so much Xander Bakker and Joshua Bixby.

I have tried to run the two scripts, each separately, from Python 2.7.10 Shell.

I launched the python shell from Start Button, \ProgramFiles\All Programs\ArcGIS\Python 2.7\IDLE (Python GUI).

But nothing happens. no error message. And the feature classes are not renamed.

Am I missing something? Should I add the script to an Tool in ArcToolBox or what/ Please help.

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

alfrednjeru — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 14:17:14 GMT

I have run the script from Xander Bakker from Python Command Line and it has worked, but it has taken almost 1 minute.

But the Python Command line is not very user friendly. Any other alternative?

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

XanderBakker — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 16:01:29 GMT

The script only does what it is supposed to do, rename a set of featureclasses. There are no messages to show what it is doing. A very simple alternative could be to include include some print statements, but a better option would be to create a tool with a simple interface that let's you select the workspace, provide the search string and the replace string and that shows the user what it is doing. This alternative is relatively simple too.

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

JoshuaBixby — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 16:05:16 GMT

There are a couple options. One is to copy and paste the code into the interactive Python window in ArcMap or ArcCatalog. Another is to create a script tool where you could populate some parameters via dialog boxes at runtime. Developing a script tool may take some learning and time if you are new to Python, so in the near term copying and pasting might work best.

Regarding using IDLE, I am a bit unclear of your steps. You launch IDLE, obviously, but how are you loading the script into it? And, how are you running it? For my script, you will need to replace gdb with a full path to a file geodatabase; otherwise, it won't have anything to act on.

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

XanderBakker — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 09:15:57 GMT

To elaborate a little. For instance if the script is based on the one written by Joshua Bixby it would look like this:

#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Name:        rename_fcs.py
# Purpose:     rename featureclasses in
#
# Author:      Joshua Bixby, Xander Bakker
#
# Created:     12/01/2017
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

def main():
    import arcpy
    import os

    # get parameters from tool
    gdb = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
    search_for = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(1)
    replace_with = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(2)

    # search and replace
    walk = arcpy.da.Walk(gdb, datatype="FeatureClass")
    for root, dirs, files in walk:
        rename = (name for name in files if search_for in name)
        for fc in rename:
            arcpy.AddMessage("Replacing '{0}' by '{1}'".format(fc, fc.replace(search_for, replace_with)))
            arcpy.Rename_management(os.path.join(root, fc),
                                    os.path.join(root, fc.replace(search_for, replace_with)))


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()
‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

The tool would have 3 parameters:

And executing the tool would be like this:

The user will be provided information on the progress:

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

JoshuaBixby — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 16:22:31 GMT

Nice, if I could give a double helpful, I would.

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

XanderBakker — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 16:46:09 GMT

Thanks! You already provided the code... I only put it in a simple tool.

Re: Rename Feature Classes in a File Geodatabse

JoshuaBixby — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 14:31:30 GMT

alfredmbungu‌, I suggest you mark Xander's response as the "Correct" answer since it contains the most complete solution.