topic Re: Change text using arcpy in Python Questions

Change text using arcpy

Yaron_YosefCohen — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 12:52:43 GMT

Hi there,

i try to change oldText with myString in 25 mxd's ( in the layout ).

The text (i used draw tool to create it) contain 2 row:

land use

fuel

myString is the new text

i try this code but python only print list of mxd names in the folder:

import arcpy
from arcpy import env 

env.workspace = r"D:\PROJECTS\ab\gis"
counter = 0
for mxdname in arcpy.ListFiles("*.mxd"):
    print mxdname
    oldText = 'land use'
    oldText = oldText + '\n'
    oldText = oldText + 'fuel'
    mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"D:\PROJECTS\ab\gis\\" + mxdname)
    myString = 'free fuel'
    myString = myString + '\n' 
    myString = myString + 'gas'
    for elm in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd, "TEXT_ELEMENT"):
        if elm.text == oldText :
            print elm.name
            elm.text = myString
    mxd.save()
    counter = counter + 1
del mxd

is it possible with python 2.7.8?

thanks in advance.

Re: Change text using arcpy

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 11:00:49 GMT

oldText = 'land use' + '\n' + 'fuel'

myString = 'free fuel + '\n' + 'gas'

show some output

it isn't a python issue

Re: Change text using arcpy

Yaron_YosefCohen — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 11:22:11 GMT

i get:

>>>

environment 1.mxd

environment 2.mxd

environment 3.mxd

til i get

environment 25.mxd

>>>

it only print mxd name

Re: Change text using arcpy

MichaelVolz — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 12:31:25 GMT

Print out the text elements without an if statement to ensure that your syntax for oldText is correct

Re: Change text using arcpy

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 14:11:03 GMT

do you actually print out oldtext? all you print out is

print mxdname

ergo you get

environment 1.mxd

environment 2.mxd

environment 3.mxd

til i get

environment 25.mxd

>>>

it only print mxd name

put in print statements if you want to test stuff

Re: Change text using arcpy

LukeWebb — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 12:52:46 GMT

Basic python question here!, you just get the mxd names, as the if statement is never satisfied.

To resolve, try changing your code as follows, then you should be able to work out what has happened!

import arcpy  
from arcpy import env   
  
env.workspace = r"D:\PROJECTS\ab\gis"  
counter = 0  
for mxdname in arcpy.ListFiles("*.mxd"):  
    print mxdname  
    oldText = 'land use'  
    oldText = oldText + '\n'  
    oldText = oldText + 'fuel'  
    mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"D:\PROJECTS\ab\gis\\" + mxdname)  
    myString = 'free fuel'  
    myString = myString + '\n'   
    myString = myString + 'gas'  
    print "We are looking for a value of: "
    print oldText
    for elm in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd, "TEXT_ELEMENT"):  
        if elm.text == oldText:  
            print elm.name  
            elm.text = myString
        else:
            print "Non Matching Element value of:"
            print elm.text
    mxd.save()  
    counter = counter + 1  
del mxd

Re: Change text using arcpy

Yaron_YosefCohen — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 05:33:08 GMT

i will try-thanks

Re: Change text using arcpy

Yaron_YosefCohen — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 12:52:49 GMT

i try your code Luke and got result :

>>> 
environment 1.mxd
We are looking for a value of: 
land use
fuel
Non Matching Element value of:
land use
fuel
environment 2.mxd
We are looking for a value of: 
land use
fuel
>>>

the oldText still remain the same in the layout :

Re: Change text using arcpy

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 06:30:38 GMT

there is a couple of possibilities:

the words 'land' or 'use' might containing leading or trailing spaces
- try "land " + "\nl" + "use"
- or "land" + "\nl" + " use"
- etc
what appears as one label stacked one over the other is actually two labels... one called land and the other called use To confirm...try clicking on the label in the map and see if one or both words get highlighted

Re: Change text using arcpy

DanPatterson_Retired — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 12:52:52 GMT

To elaborate consider the following examples (not all combinations checked):

>>> a = "land" + "\nl" + "use"
>>> a == a
True
>>> # now try some variations
>>> b = "land " + "\nl" + "use"  # extra space after 'land'
>>> a == b
False
>>> c = "land" + "\nl" + "use "  # extra space after 'use'
>>> a == c
False
>>> d = "land" + "use"
>>> a == d
False

Re: Change text using arcpy

Yaron_YosefCohen — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 12:52:54 GMT

thanks for everyone,

finally i use this code:

import arcpy
from arcpy import env 

env.workspace = r"D:\PROJECTS\ab\gis"
for mxdname in arcpy.ListFiles("*.mxd"):
    print mxdname
    mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"D:\PROJECTS\ab\gis\\" + mxdname)
    for elm in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd, "TEXT_ELEMENT"):
        oldText = 'land use\nfuel'
        newText = u'free fuel\ngas'
        if elm.text == oldText:
            elm.text = newText
            print 'elm.text changed'
     
    mxd.save() 
del mxd