idea Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy in Python Ideas

Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy

ScottDavis — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 20:30:33 GMT

pathlib seems to be the preferred method for working with system paths in Python 3. We've started using it in place of `os.path` in our office recently and really like it. However, we've run into problems with using it with arcpy. For example:

workspace = pathlib.Path('C:\some path') \ 'anotherfolder' \ 'connection.sde'
with arcpy.EnvManager(workspace=workspace):
    pass‍‍‍‍‍‍

Throws this error: "RuntimeError: Object: Error in accessing environment <workspace>"

To work around this, we end up wrapping all of our Path object with str(). For example:

workspace = str(pathlib.Path('C:\some path') \ 'anotherfolder' \ 'connection.sde')
with arcpy.EnvManager(workspace=workspace):
    pass‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

It would be great if arcpy (Pro version) handled these Path objects natively!

Re: Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy

GISTeam4 — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 08:16:34 GMT

This would be much appreciated. Going into Python 3 we want to make good use of the new stuff like Pathlib and f-strings.

ArcPy tools should accept pathlib Paths

chrismartinEsri — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 12:44:33 GMT

The pathlib library was included with the standard library as of 3.4. There has been a general push towards these object-orientated paths as they provide immense improvements to the standard os library tools. I've found most tools (i.e. all the ones I've worked with) do not support Path objects and force me to cast them to string prior to executing the tool. I believe the tools should handle this casting implicitly so the end user can use Path objects or string representations of paths without conflict.

Update arcpy cursors to work with paths constructed with pathlib objects

BlakeTerhune — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 20:47:41 GMT

When using a path created from pathlib, arcpy.da.SearchCursor() returns

RuntimeError: 'in_table' is not a table or a featureclass

If the path is formatted with str() it works fine. Hopefully there's a way the cursor, and anything else that's relevant, can accept native objects from pathlib. Please see this relevant post Using pathlib with SearchCursor

Re: Update arcpy cursors to work with paths constructed with pathlib objects

JoeBorgione — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 21:14:34 GMT

@BlakeTerhune - having read you other post earlier, what is the advantage of pathlib?

Re: Update arcpy cursors to work with paths constructed with pathlib objects

BlakeTerhune — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 21:18:49 GMT

@JoeBorgione I found a nice summary here. Also see the official documentation that compares the path related tools from os module.

Re: ArcPy tools should accept pathlib Paths

KoryKramer — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 22:28:51 GMT

Re: ArcPy tools should accept pathlib Paths - Status changed to: Under Consideration

ShaunWalbridge — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 02:59:21 GMT

I agree that working with pathlib paths is a much nicer experience than plain strings and os.path anipulations. We are considering this work, and I will link to this in our internal issue, Python #1795. We estimate this to be a larger change, because of the number of different places that we currently explicitly pass only strings and expect the objects to be strings without further inspection. I think it also begs the question of getting pathlib objects back out where available, which is another level to this.

Re: ArcPy tools should accept pathlib Paths

KoryKramer — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 12:25:36 GMT

Good update @ShaunWalbridge Given the status update on this one, could you or @Anonymous User update the customer idea to Under Consideration?

Thank you!

Re: Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy - Status changed to: Under Consideration

ShaunWalbridge — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 20:24:05 GMT

Working with pathlib paths is a much nicer experience than plain strings and os.path anipulations. We are considering this work, but do estimate this to be a larger change, because of the number of different places that we currently explicitly pass only strings and expect the objects to be strings without further inspection.

Re: ArcPy tools should accept pathlib Paths

ShaunWalbridge — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 20:24:36 GMT

@KoryKramerOK posted it as under consideration on the public issue as well.

Re: ArcPy tools should accept pathlib Paths

KoryKramer — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 20:27:16 GMT

👍Thanks, Shaun!

Re: Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy

BlakeTerhune — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 22:22:56 GMT

Thank you for the consideration @ShaunWalbridge! 😊

Re: Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy

EthanSchaefer — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 00:48:19 GMT

It seems to me that one (partial?) solution would be to wrap each function/method so that any passed object with a __fspath__ method is converted to the result of calling that method. This is essentially the same logic behind os.fspath(), which returns arbitrary strings unchanged, even if they couldn't possibly represent a path. Of course, it sequences of paths must also be covered, that could be accommodated, too. But if there are more complicated scenarios that I haven't anticipated, they may be harder to support.

Incidentally, the basic approach I outlined is how I deal with this problem (at an abstract level) when generating scripts on the fly and passing them via propy.bat.

Re: Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy

philnagel — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 15:42:26 GMT

Is there any progress on this? It's quite annoying to be stuck with legacy path handling from Python 2, or always having to manually convert paths to strings, just because arcpy still does not support pathlib almost 3 years after this idea was posted.

Re: Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy

OliviaHughes — Fri, 24 May 2024 20:32:41 GMT

I'd really like to upvote this as well. I want to use pathlib Path objects in my scripts as we use that as standard procedure for other file handling scripts. Having to break this pattern due to the arcpy library is really inconvenient.

Re: Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy

subora_iastate — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 15:38:53 GMT

I agree with Olivia, any progress incorporating pathlib would be greatly appreciated. Maybe I am mistaken, but I think just being able to pass pathlib.Path types into parameter fields would be sufficient.

Re: Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy

MErikReedAugusta — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 03:20:48 GMT

I get that pathlib outputs might be a naturally-expected addition to this, but given the apparent devtime required, perhaps it might be best to release this in stages? Surely pathlib inputs could be achieved for all or most of arcpy in a minor version or two, rather than this three-year-and-counting wait?

Especially when one considers the lag time for many organizations between release and deployment of new versions, I shudder to think of this still being unavailable to me a decade from now.

Re: Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy

JordanCarmona — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 21:15:30 GMT

Pathlib inputs would be a great MVP for this.

Re: Add support for pathlib.Path objects to arcpy

MortenBackNielsen — Mon, 26 May 2025 12:34:13 GMT

Does anybody know the status for this - it's a bit frustrating thay you always have to convert a Path to a dump string before parsing it to ArcPy? 🙂