topic Re: Listing only attribute indexes in Python Questions

Listing only attribute indexes

AleydisG__Pere — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 10:09:52 GMT

I need a script to check the attribute indexes of every feature class in a geodatabase, to delete or create the indexes to fit my needs.

I've used the ListIndexes arcpy function but it lists not only attribute indexes but also spatial indexes.

Is there a way to list only attribute indexes?

import arcpy

fields =  "OBJECTID"
index_name =  "FDO_OBJECTID"
unique_vals = "UNIQUE"
order = "ASCENDING"
FSO_OID = False

try:

    gdb = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0) 
    arcpy.env.workspace = gdb

    fdatasets = arcpy.ListDatasets()
    for fdataset in fdatasets:
        arcpy.AddMessage("Feature dataset: " + fdataset)
        arcpy.AddMessage('-' * 40)
        fcs = arcpy.ListFeatureClasses('','',fdataset)
        for fc in fcs:
            indexes = arcpy.ListIndexes(fc) # ----> Lists both attribute and spatial indexes!!!
            for index in indexes:
                if (index.name <> index_name):
                    arcpy.RemoveIndex_management(fc, index.name)
                else:
                    FSO_OID = True
            if FSO_OID == False:
                arcpy.AddIndex_management(fc, fields, index_name, unique_vals, order)

except:
    arcpy.GetMessages(2)

Re: Listing only attribute indexes

JamesCrandall — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 07:28:37 GMT

import arcpy

fields =  "OBJECTID"
index_name =  "FDO_OBJECTID"
unique_vals = "UNIQUE"
order = "ASCENDING"
FSO_OID = False

try:

    gdb = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0) 
    arcpy.env.workspace = gdb

    fdatasets = arcpy.ListDatasets()
    for fdataset in fdatasets:
        arcpy.AddMessage("Feature dataset: " + fdataset)
        arcpy.AddMessage('-' * 40)
        fcs = arcpy.ListFeatureClasses('','',fdataset)
        for fc in fcs:
            indexes = arcpy.ListIndexes(fc) # ----> Lists both attribute and spatial indexes!!!
            for index in indexes:
                if (index.name <> index_name):
                    arcpy.RemoveIndex_management(fc, index.name)
                else:
                    FSO_OID = True
            if FSO_OID == False:
                arcpy.AddIndex_management(fc, fields, index_name, unique_vals, order)

except:
    arcpy.GetMessages(2)

What I don't know is if *all* spatial indexes have the word "Shape" in them. If so, then you can just test for this string value in the index name:

'skip over any index name with string Shape in it
if not "Shape" in index.name:
   arcpy.RemoveIndex_management(fc, index.name)

Or alternatively, can you just skip over the ObjectID field to check for attribute indexes? (I am not sure if that is sufficient because I don't know if all spatial indexes are found on that field).


'describe each featureclass and build a list of indexes on each
for fc in fcs:
   dsc = arcpy.Describe(fc)
   listOfIndexes = [idx.name for idx in dsc.Indexes][1:]

I question the validity of simply skipping over the OID field as this. When I look at the properties of a FeatureClass and see it's spatial index name "FDO_Shape", it also shows up in the listOfIndexes list when run. So, it appears to not catch it by simply skipping over the OID.

Sorry for a non-direct answer, but maybe you can sort it out from here.

Re: Listing only attribute indexes

AleydisG__Pere — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 13:06:44 GMT

Your answer is quite helpful because I've realized that the spatial index for personal geodatabases is always Shape_index and the spatial index for file geodatabases is always FDO_SHAPE. Sometimes they are uppercase and sometimes lowercase, but that's all.
It's as simple as skipping those index names. Thanks! 🙂

Now I have a new problem related to the attribute indexes based on the OBJECTID field. I can't delete any attr. index based on that field. I'm getting an error message. 😕

In fact, I can't add an attribute index based on the OBJECTID field either. :((

Re: Listing only attribute indexes

JamesCrandall — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:46:40 GMT

Now I have a new problem related to the attribute indexes based on the OBJECTID field. I can't delete any attr. index based on that field. I'm getting an error message. 😕

In fact, I can't add an attribute index based on the OBJECTID field either. :((

Probably this is because the index already exists. Try dropping it first... From http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#/Add_Attribute_Index/00170000005z000000/

If an index name already exists, it must be dropped before it can be updated.