topic Re: Case Sensitive! in Geoprocessing Questions

Case Sensitive!

RDHarles — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:23:01 GMT

What is going on with Arc 10 and the case sensitive stuff???

This works:
arcpy.Clip_management()

This doesn't!!!:
arcpy.clip_management()

Are you telling me I'm going to have to update literally hundreds of thousands of lines of code in hundreds of scripts in order to move from arc 9.x to Arc 10?

Please tell me this isn't so?
Anyone figured out a way around this?

Re: Case Sensitive!

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:36:47 GMT

Yes Python is case-sensitive...many consider it one of its strengths since it ensures that there is no confusion in the namespace, hence, point is not Point is not POINT. It assists in writing clear code once you get used to it.
You will have to do search and replace to update, this also happened during the translation from Avenue to Python code.

Re: Case Sensitive!

RDHarles — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:43:14 GMT

Yes Python is case-sensitive...many consider it one of its strengths since it ensures that there is no confusion in the namespace, hence, point is not Point is not POINT. It assists in writing clear code once you get used to it.
You will have to do search and replace to update, this also happened during the translation from Avenue to Python code.

My point is that it never mattered before Arc 10 (in writing code against ESRI tools) so why change it now? If it would have mattered back in 2005 when I started writing this stuff, maybe I would have got into the habit then. Now it's a disaster!

Re: Case Sensitive!

ArcGISUser — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:10:46 GMT

What is going on with Arc 10 and the case sensitive stuff???

This works:
arcpy.Clip_management()

This doesn't!!!:
arcpy.clip_management()

Are you telling me I'm going to have to update literally hundreds of thousands of lines of code in hundreds of scripts in order to move from arc 9.x to Arc 10?

Please tell me this isn't so?
Anyone figured out a way around this?

Yep it is so. When I took a python class last year, they let everyone know that this would change in 10, so I just started the habit of typing it out correctly since then.*shrugs*

Re: Case Sensitive!

ChrisSnyder — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:14:12 GMT

Yes, Python has always been case sensitive.

BUT

The GP stuff has NEVER been case sensitive (at least prior to v10). Which is why so many of us build up GP code that won't work in v10 without tons of rewrites...

shapeFieldName = gp.DeScRiBe(myFC).SHAPEfieldNAME #works great in v93

I am starting to really understand why all the ArcObjects people get so mad with every new major ArcGIS release...

R.D. - I feel your pain.

Not sure why ESRI makes all these "sweeping" changes (as in sweeps my existing code into the garbage can)!

Here's a wish for an enlightened future of syntax stability...

Re: Case Sensitive!

DavidWynne — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:06:36 GMT

Not sure why ESRI makes all these "sweeping" changes (as in sweeps my existing code into the garbage can)!

Hi Chris,
The case-sensitivity of arcpy is something of a trade-off. By providing early binding with arcpy (giving you drop-downs, code completion, etc), it locks us into case-sensitivity.

The important thing to note is that this change does not affect any Python scripts written using a geoprocessor object. Any scripts written on past releases of ArcGIS, don't need to be updated--they should just work.

-Dave

Re: Case Sensitive!

ChrisSnyder — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:45:26 GMT

By providing early binding with arcpy (giving you drop-downs, code completion, etc), it locks us into case-sensitivity

I get it, thanks for the explanation. I made a little .py module of my own a while back, and so I see your point. A small price to pay for code completion perhaps...

I'm probably not as bad off as most (that want to completely update their gp code to use arcpy only) since I always copied the tool syntax out of the Help syntax example. Most of my problem code is in the methods and properties.

.shapefieldname #v93 (camel case? no way! - I don't even GaF! I'll do it my way - Wo hoo!)
.ShapeFieldName #v10 (uh oh, now case sensitive - I must obey ESRI synax - case by case!)

Toolwise though, I have a lot of coworkers that have code like:

gp.union(this + ";" + that, theOther)

They are not so fortunate! Rewrite city for them!

BTW: I know you've heard it a million times, but it sure would be cool to have an arcpy OMD that showed the 'correct' method/property case spellings in v10 (like the v9.0 - 9.3 ones). I use my GP OMD all the time as a cheat sheet (too bad I didn't always follow the case-spellings!). No one would care if there were > 1 pages (just as long as we can print/read them on 11 x 17). I guess code completion is sort of like a cheat sheet, but it is SO NICEto have everything you need on an 'old-fashioned' printed page sometimes.

Re: Case Sensitive!

RDHarles — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:13:50 GMT

The case-sensitivity of arcpy is something of a trade-off. By providing early binding with arcpy (giving you drop-downs, code completion, etc), it locks us into case-sensitivity.
-Dave

At least I understand why.

The important thing to note is that this change does not affect any Python scripts written using a geoprocessor object. Any scripts written on past releases of ArcGIS, don't need to be updated--they should just work. -Dave

This didn't even occur to me for some reason. I was thinking Arc 10 = must use arcpy. At least that fact buys me some time for the transition.

R.D. - I feel your pain.

Thanks Chris, I need all the comforting I can get.
The only way I can think to do this is to search for "gp.", look up the correct syntax, then type over or add to the current text.
Maybe when I get some free time:), I'll create a python script containing a giant dictionary will all the tools, methods & properties containing the correct syntax. Then use that dictionary in a search/replace script to fix all my other scripts! I'll let you know when I get that written;)

Re: Case Sensitive!

LoganPugh — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:09:00 GMT

You can get around this by using the text format functions of Python such as

>>>x = "A strAnGle case string"
>>>print x.lower() # This forces it to use lowercase for the variable.

>>>#hope that helps.

The issue is not the case of values, but of the names of methods and properties in ArcPy itself. The only solution to that is to rewrite your code (search and replace in your text editor can help with that though).

Re: Case Sensitive!

ChrisSnyder — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 02:37:20 GMT

Ryan - You are on the right track for sure.

You can get the "correct" case tool names I think from gp.listtools() - or arcpy.listtools() and use that to build a crosswalk.
Switching the tool names wouldn't be too horrible, something like...
1. Build a tool name dictionary - toolNameDict[toolName.split("_")[0].lower()] = toolName
- {"clip":"Clip_Analysis"}
2. Look for lines with "gp."
3. Isolate the part after the "gp." but before the "_' and/or "("
4. Convert to lower()
5. Now scan through the dictionary and hopefully find a match

The methods and properties would be harder, although most of them tend to be pretty specific keywords like ".getvalue" or ".oidfieldname". Some are not so obscure, like ".name" or ".type".

It'd be pretty hard to get something 100% accurate, but even 50% would be better than 0% (as long as it didn't completely bugger your code).

Anyway, it would be a pretty good challenge... stuff like this puts the P in GISP for sure.

Re: Case Sensitive!

RDHarles — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:31:05 GMT

Chris & Ryan,
In my post above, I was kind of kidding, but I had the same thought. It may not get it all done but it would certainly speed things up. Hadn't thought of listtools(), that should work for the tool names (which would probably be half my battle). Don't know if there's any way to get method & properties?
If you guys have any more ideas, let me know.
Thanks!

Re: Case Sensitive!

FrankPerks — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 03:10:01 GMT

import arcpy

def recase():
    tools = arcpy.listtools()
    for tool_name in tools:
        arcpy.globals()[tool_name.lower()] = arcpy.globals()[tool_name]

# add the case syntax
recase()

This should allow you to use lowercase syntax for arcpy.

What you guys really need though is a code refactoring tool. To update your code to the new syntax. Most Python IDE's (IDLE, pywin32, notepad, notepad++ ARE NOT IDE's i suggest Pycharm (http://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/)) can do stuff like this.

Took me around 2 minutes for pycharm to refactor all of my scripts to the new arcpy syntax.

Re: Case Sensitive!

RDHarles — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:40:25 GMT

Frank,
Pycharm sounds interesting. The only thing I know about refractoring tools is what I read in the last 5 minutes.
Could you very briefly explain what it takes to set up Pycharm to "fix" your code?
I'm curious.
Thanks.

Re: Case Sensitive!

ChrisSnyder — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 03:10:04 GMT

PyCharm looks cool ($100 though - actually $200 for me (govt.)) - but where's the interactive/immediate window?

I run this code in PyCharm:

import random
randomList = []
for i in range (1,11):
    randomList.append(random.random())

How can I view the contents of randomList?

Re: Case Sensitive!

FrankPerks — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 03:10:07 GMT

Frank,
Pycharm sounds interesting. The only thing I know about refractoring tools is what I read in the last 5 minutes.
Could you very briefly explain what it takes to set up Pycharm to "fix" your code?
I'm curious.
Thanks.

Huh, i don't know why but ether the forums swallowed most of my post or i screwed up somehow sigh. The easiest way to change your code from arcgisscripting --> arcpy (however i don't know why you need to). Make a project add your scripts. Open up arcgisscripting module from within pycharm (it will generate method stubs) for you from the dll. Copy everything, make a new module called arcgisscripting.py within your project. Just to be safe unload the real arcgisscripting library (remove it via the settings panel).

You can now then and go and refactor your copy, if you change the module name from arcgisscripting to arcpy (also unload the real arcpy) your scripts will update them selves. Then do the same for methods.

PyCharm looks cool ($100 though - actually $200 for me (govt.)) - but where's the interactive/immediate window?

I run this code in PyCharm:
import random
randomList = []
for i in range (1,11):
    randomList.append(random.random())
How can I view the contents of randomList?

I am not sure what you mean exactly by interactive/immediate..

If you want to view the value of something while the program runs ether:

Set a break point at the point you want to inspect. Hover over the variable, or go to the debug panel and look at the variables listed in your current stackframe.

Or add a watch (it is on the debug panel) and type the current name of the variable you want to monitor.

Nice. I use Wingware, but this seems quite slick as well. Thanks for the link.

Wingware IDE is amazing, however their licensing costs and limitations are horrific. Pycharms debugging is nowhere near are good as their debugging. However the price differences are night and day. Maybe someone should make a topic about IDE's.

Re: Case Sensitive!

FrankPerks — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:42:43 GMT

Limitation, can you be more specific? What are some problems that you have encountered?

The Free Wing 101 still works good.
http://www.wingware.com/downloads/wingide-101/3.2.11-1/binaries

I have no association with Wing, other than using the product.

"Wing IDE 101 is free scaled down Python IDE designed for use in teaching introductory programming classes. It omits many features found in Wing IDE Professional and makes simplifications appropriate for beginners.The OS X version requires an X11 Server. "

Their licensing is based around OS Installs. So i cannot take their IDE and install it on my laptop since it has already been installed on my desktop. So wait. So that ~200$ CAD purchase turns into ~400$ CAD if i want to run it on my desktop and on my laptop. Also if you reinstall or change your hardware configuration you need to plead to technical support to get your key reinitialized. Compared to pycharm i have it happily installed on my desktop, and my laptop, and when i reinstall my os i don't need to contact technical support.

WingIDE 101 is a joke. It omits basic functionality that can be found in free IDE's like pyscripter, and Aptana. Once you take away the best features of WingIDE (code completetion, unit testing, debug probing, etc). All your left with is an ugly text editor.