topic Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ? in Data Management Questions

Replace string with values in a new field column ?

DEAF_PROBERT_68 — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 20:41:16 GMT

I have a Forest roads here with me and there is a column (iD ) that shows street name number, freeway, state, county along with their numbers..

I copied them to a new field column Symbol that I need to calculate them with just numbers only.

This purpose is to show them the road symbol number as a labels

How do I do that in the Field Calculator ?

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 20:49:34 GMT

as I suggested before

python of course

>>> a ="83N"

>>> b = "".join([i for i in a if i in '0123456789'])

>>> b

'83'

where 'a' is !yourfield!

where a is your field and b will be your new field which you don't have to specify. This could be used directly in the field calculator

AND

it will not work in all cases as I stated before since I doubt that highway 360.2B is going to come out as 360.2 but 3602.

multiple steps may be necessary.

If you want a numeric value, wrap the whole thing in an int( ) statement

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

DarrenWiens2 — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 23:54:46 GMT

Where exactly is the number in "MOR-Q"? Does this have what you call a number, or is there no number for this one?

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

DanPatterson_Retired — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 12:00:48 GMT

Can account for it... but it is getting less elegant

>>> a = "MOR-Q"
>>> b = "".join([i for i in a if i in '0123456789'])
>>> b
''

or for the devil's highway in nodata form

>>> b = ["".join([i for i in a if i in '0123456789']) or -666][0]
>>> b
-666

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

ChrisDonohue__GISP — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 02:18:29 GMT

Wait, Dan, what happened to the smoking one-liner (of code)?

(just kidding)

Chris Donohue, GISP

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 03:45:50 GMT

There are probably some in the long history of this question... How do you write expression in Label field to replace string with values ? Nothing seems to work, I think the questions are asked and forgotten.

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

DEAF_PROBERT_68 — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 15:33:18 GMT

I tried and didn't work either and I was wondering if that had to do with the new version each time ESRI upgraded their ESRI products and we all have to re-learn new things and that is CRAZY !!!!

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

TedKowal — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 15:54:38 GMT

Sorry -- I just could not resist ..... Temptation got the better of me!

int(filter(str.isdigit, [ID]))

BTW: I had an access denied when trying to use the advanced editor....

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

TedKowal — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 16:04:28 GMT

>>> a = "MIA-45.678"

>>> b = float(''.join(ele for ele in a if ele.isdigit() or ele == '.'))

>>> b

45.678

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 16:13:03 GMT

trying to cut down on filter, map and lambda... beginning to forget their usefulness

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 16:21:31 GMT

You are using the python parser aren't you? Arc* defaults to vb-whatever and you can't set python as the default. Eventually, they will get it fixed.

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

ChrisDonohue__GISP — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 16:31:25 GMT

Just curious - any idea if the suggestion of allowing the setting of the default to Python (instead of VB script) has been submitted to ESRI already as an enhancement?

Chris Donohue, GISP

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 16:38:32 GMT

quite some time ago... so long ago, that I can't find it

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

DEAF_PROBERT_68 — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 18:44:56 GMT

VBScript or Python ?

Tried and gave me the error

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

TedKowal — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 21:05:54 GMT

If you want to try vbscript:

int([ID])

Of course those string with no numbers will come out to be 0.

Re: Replace string with values in a new field column ?

katherinehannaford — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 15:17:05 GMT

Hello Robert,

If I understand your situation correctly and you want to take a non-script approach I think you could do that fairly easily with some preprocessing to separate out the "pure" numbers (e.g., "111" in your snapshot) from the "mixed format" numbers (e.g., "PRK-70"). The "pure" ones are a piece of cake; just add your new numeric field and use the Field Calculator to copy in the numbers. If they were all "pure" you'd be done; but, alas, they aren't. So, for these you can use an intermediate text field, some selection sets and VBA functions (e.g., RIGHT). Don't see what you intend to do with the ones that don't have any number in them except leave them 0. Of course, you may want to create a text Symbol field that just leaves off the state, county and other values embedded in your ID field. If you expect to do this repeatedly or want to practice scripting, you should definitely go the script route, but if it's a one-off thing and you just want it done, the VBA process should work just fine.

Check out this Knowledge Base Technical Article for VBA functions. I'm using ArcGIS 10.3 and they still work for me. Good luck.

31807 - Use VBA functions in the Field Calculator