topic Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type... in Data Management Questions

Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

TravisLathrop1 — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 17:26:02 GMT

I am trying to build a tool that will generate a feature class and then populate the fields with the correct column name and format based off a Excel file. Has anyone had any luck doing this before? I'm looking for model or code examples if anyone happens to have anything similar. Has anyone seen any tutoria documents online that do this type of request? That could help also.

Thanks in advance!

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

DarrenWiens2 — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 17:32:19 GMT

This is certainly possible using Python. If you want to go in that direction, please post your starting script, or at least your Excel file as an example.

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

TravisLathrop1 — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 17:51:19 GMT

Thanks for the follow up Darren.

I have no code to share as I've been working in model builder. If you think the python route is the way to go I'm all ears. Here is what my Excel file looks like. I want column A to represent the fields in the new feature class and the values in column B should the the field type. Is this doable?

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

DarrenWiens2 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 09:29:50 GMT

Step 1: convert Excel to CSV file. If you don't want to do that, you can work with Excel directly, but it's more complicated.

Step 2: run Python script. This will probably take some time to digest. Comments follow '#' (leave in or delete. They will be ignored).

import arcpy, csv, os

fc = r'C:/junk/FILE_GDB.gdb/newEmptyFC' # point to where you want your FC
if arcpy.Exists(fc):
    arcpy.Delete_management(fc) # delete FC if it exists
arcpy.CreateFeatureclass_management(os.path.dirname(fc),
                                    os.path.basename(fc)) # create FC

fieldtypes = {  'char':'TEXT',
                'inte':'LONG'} # dictionary to translate from your listed data types to ArcGIS data types. You'll have to add more.

with open(r'C:/junk/excel_test.csv', 'rb') as csvfile: # open CSV file
    reader = csv.reader(csvfile, dialect='excel') # make a CSV reader
    headers = reader.next() # skip header row
    for row in reader: # read through rows
        if row[0] <> 'OBJECTID': # don't create OID field. Will be created automatically
            print fieldtypes[row[1][:4]] # convince yourself that it is using the dictionary properly
            arcpy.AddField_management(fc, row[0], fieldtypes[row[1][:4]]) # create field of appropriate data type, based on first 4 characters in CSV file

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

TravisLathrop1 — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 14:20:07 GMT

Darren-I've had more time to digest this and I had some simply syntax errors on the front end. After I got those resolved it crashed out on me at the second to last line. Any ideas on what i might change?

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

WesMiller — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 14:23:05 GMT

Looks like an indentation error you would need to set your print statements to be in your if statement

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

TravisLathrop1 — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 14:30:52 GMT

It runs but I get this error now....any ideas?

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "C:/Users/tlathrop/Desktop/TL GIS/EnterpriseGeoDatabase/TestScript.py", line 16, in <module>

print fieldtypes[row[1][:4]]

KeyError: 'inte

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

DarrenWiens2 — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 15:24:31 GMT

I was being kind of lazy making the dictionary because I wasn't quite sure how your data looked.

fieldtypes[row[1][:4]]

...means: take the first four letters of the value in row[1], find the dictionary key that matches that value, and return the value at that key in the dictionary. Since there is no such value in your dictionary, it returns an error. When I made the example dictionary, I shortened the dictionary keys to four letters ("integer" became "inte") so there would be matches.

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

TravisLathrop1 — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 16:16:05 GMT

I understand the dictionary (I think o_O). I think it loos correct it makes sense but I'm still getting errors.

Here is my code:

Here is the error I get:

Any idea what I need to change? I appreciate your help too btw!!!

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

DarrenWiens2 — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 16:22:59 GMT

Ah, this one's easy. Python is case sensitive - it should be AddField, not Addfield.

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

TravisLathrop1 — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 17:36:19 GMT

The script will run but its not generating the data the way I had hoped. It doesn't look like any of the values in column A in the CSV file were added as column just the values for column B. Here is what the attribute table for the new FC looks like after running the tool:

I want the new FC to have columns based on the data in column A.

What do I need to change??

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

DarrenWiens2 — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 17:52:51 GMT

The arguments for AddField are, (in_table, field_name, field_type), in that order. Check syntax section here.

arcpy.AddField_management(fc, row[0], fieldtypes[row[1][:4]])

fc = the input table

row[0] = the field name (the first column in your spreadsheet. E.g. 'geodb_oid')

row[1][:4] = the first four characters of the second column in your spreadsheet (e.g. 'inte')

fieldtypes[row[1][:4]] = the value associated with the key 'inte' (e.g. 'LONG')

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

AlexZhuk — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 18:32:14 GMT

I created a small/quick/convenient model for myself.

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Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

DarrenWiens2 — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 18:34:27 GMT

Hmmm. Is this in the right place?

Re: Tool for generating Feature Class including field names/type...

TravisLathrop1 — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 20:08:18 GMT

Thanks for your help...almost have it now!
TL