topic Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename? in ModelBuilder Questions

Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

BenVan_Kesteren1 — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 05:05:07 GMT

I have created a simple tool which finds all properties that lay within a polygon feature (select layer by location), and then exports to a filegeodatabase (Feature class to feature class).

I am wondering if I can get the output filename to be dynamic, and include today's date in the feature class filename each time it is run?

Currently it exports LandParcelRateParking, if I run it each week it simply overwrites last weeks table. Can I get it to append to the filename to be something like:

LandParcelRateParking05042019

LandParcelRateParking09042019

etc

The model is as per below screenshot:

I am guessing there is something I can do to append the date, but I am missing it....

Cheers

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

rachelg_esri — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 14:36:48 GMT

Hello Ben!

I believe you can use Calculate Value and some Python code to get what you're looking for. I made the following test model and it appears to have done what you're looking for:

In Calculate Value, I have the following:

Expression:

gettime()

Code Block:

def gettime():
   from datetime import datetime
   now = datetime.now()
   forFile = now.strftime("%m%d%Y")
   return forFile

This uses the Python "DateTime" module that allows you to grab your machine's current time and modify the output structure using various abbreviations (ex. %m for month, %d for day, %Y for four-number year).

I then set the output of the Calculate Value to a specific name (Value in this case), and then called upon that value within the output name of the table.

The resulting table was called "AfterTable_04092019".

For more information, I'd recommend reviewing the following:

Inline variable substitution
Basic date and time types (namely the strftime() section).
Calculate Value

Enjoy!

Best regards,

Rachel

Esri Support Services

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

KyleConboy — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 15:15:05 GMT

I'm trying to do something similar, I'm looking to copy a file geodatabase on a quarterly basis and have it saved with the same name and the date on the end of the geodatabase name. 'Table to table' will not work in this workflow and it does not look like copy will either. Any ideas?

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

rachelg_esri — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 16:31:36 GMT

Hello Kyle,

Can you clarify on "'Table to table' will not work in this workflow and it does not look like copy will either". The Copy tool does copy geodatabases, and the above workflow should work with this tool. Are you receiving an error? What's the issue on your end? Thanks!

Best regards,

Rachel

Esri Support Services

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

KyleConboy — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 16:57:50 GMT

Hi Rachel. It doesn't look like table to table will let me input a file geodatabase and copy doesn't have anywhere to load in Python code.

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

curtvprice — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 16:16:56 GMT

Table To Table takes a specific table input not a geodatabase input. You can batch copy a bunch of tables with this tool though: Table to Geodatabase

Copy is accessible in python as arcpy.Copy_management.

Hope this is helpful.

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

KyleConboy — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:14:27 GMT

Thanks for the help. This thread provided the needed solution. The inline variable referencing the calculated variable was what i wasn't getting before.

Thanks again:)

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

curtvprice — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 22:21:53 GMT

Great! Also see: Formatting date as string from user input date value in ModelBuilder‌

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

Tim-Woodfield — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 17:29:15 GMT

Hi Rachel,

I used your code above but my value isn't coming back as a date. It is coming back as just the number 1. Does the Data type need to be set to something specific? I'm doing this in ArcMap and not Pro also. Would this cause the problem?

Thanks!

EDIT: Just realized that the value being returned is 1 no matter what the expression is. I can set it to 1+1 and it still returns 1.

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

curtvprice — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 01:48:28 GMT

When you right click Calculate Value what is the message (Value = ?)

I would set the data type to string, and then connect this as a precondition to the tool where you are going to use the string in the output name.

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

JasminePrater — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 15:36:10 GMT

This worked well for me when trying to add the date to the end of a file name after a reconcile log was created. I calculated the date value using your script, renamed the log file using %Value% at the end, and set a precondition of Value having been calculated. Thank you!

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

anonymous55 — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 20:31:54 GMT

Hello All

I am trying to create zip file with name and current date.

example: Land_01242022.zip

I created shapefile with current date like this Land_todayDate.shp.
But I am having problem to have same format for zip file with all shapefile on it.

I want something like this :

Land_todaydate.zip

I have this code but this just create zip file with name and not adding date to it.

Expression:

zipshape(r"Path","Name")

this function requires the two inputs folder (path to the shapefile) and name (shapefilename, for example if your shapefile is foo.shp, the name should be foo (without the extension). it doesn't work with one input.

code Block:

import os import glob import zipfile def zipshape(folder, name): os.chdir(folder) zipname = name + ".zip" flist = glob.glob(name + "*") with zipfile.ZipFile(zipname, "w") as newzip: for ff in flist: if ff[-4:] != "lock" and ff != zipname: newzip.write(ff) return os.path.join(folder, zipname)

Date Type
File

I need to run this everyday because I need to add date or maybe just overwrite pervious zip file with new date.

Re: Can ArcGIS Pro ModelBuilder append today's date to output table filename?

WindsorConnecticut — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 16:26:42 GMT

This is great! Thank you for this!!

One thing I ran into which is strange... the output is writing "unknown" after the date. Do you know what I might be doing wrong? I copied your exact code.