topic Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files in Python Questions

Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

Zeke — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:46:48 GMT

I'm not sure if this question is directly related to ArcMap, but since that's mostly what I use Python for I'll give it a shot.
When I write a script in Python, it runs fine if it's in the same folder as the file(s), such as the mxd, it references. If the script is in another folder, it doesn't run, at least not correctly.
This happens with scripts for ArcMap, as well as other projects. For example, I have a script to print directories and files in a folder. If the script is in that folder, it runs fine. If it's in another folder, it only prints its own name (a copy is in the other folder, so original is still there).
This doesn't happen when running something in ArcMap itself, either a script or python window.
One last thing: the sysadmin didn't install Python from the ArcMap discs. I manually installed it according to other posts in the forums, and everything looks ok, V. 2,6, etc, but maybe I missed something, like setting the right path?
Anyway, thanks for any help, and sorry if this isn't really an ArcMap python issue.

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

MathewCoyle — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:52:12 GMT

If you post some of the code you are having issues with that may assist in debugging. A manual python install shouldn't really be an issue as long as it is referenced in your environment variables properly. IIRC, you can even have a newer version of python (2.6.5-2.6.x) installed instead of the 2.6.5 that comes with ArcGIS, and that should be fine too.

Re: Scripts only work if in same folder as other files

Zeke — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 13:25:33 GMT

I don't think it's a problem with the code itself, since it runs fine when in the same directory as the other files or in ArcMap, but here's an example. Just the last one I worked on, the file listing one I mentioned. One thing that may help - getcwd() always seems to reference the python install path, not whatever path I'm actually working in. It may be a system or environment variable issue.

import os

prompt = "Please enter the directory path: "
dirPath = raw_input(prompt)
listing = os.listdir(dirPath)
fileName = "C:\FileList.txt"
s = "??"
fileList = open(fileName, "w+")
fileList.write(dirPath + "\n\n")

fileList.write("DIRECTORIES:\n")
for dir in listing:
    if os.path.isdir(dir):
        fileList.write(dir + "\n")
        s += dir.join("\n")

fileList.write(s + "\n")
   
listing = os.listdir(dirPath)

fileList.write("\n")
fileList.write("FILES:\n")
for file in listing:
    if os.path.isfile(file):
         fileList.write(file + "\n")

fileList.close()

prompt = "File list created at: " + fileName + "\nPress Enter"
ok = raw_input(prompt)

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

MathewCoyle — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 13:25:35 GMT

Yup, definitely some system or environment setting throwing a wrench in things. What does this return?

import os
os.getenv("PYTHON")

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

DarrenWiens2 — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:06:24 GMT

fileName = "C:\FileList.txt"

Don't use backslashes in paths. It escapes the next character.

Instead it should be:
"C:/FileList.txt"
OR
"C:\\FileList.txt"
OR
r"C:\FileList.txt"

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

Zeke — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 13:25:38 GMT

Yup, definitely some system or environment setting throwing a wrench in things. What does this return?
import os
os.getenv("PYTHON")

In the PythonWin interactive window, that returns NONE when I print it. Nothing happens if I don't use print.

Don't use backslashes in paths. It escapes the next character.

That one I actually know and just forgot, thanks. Still, FileList.txt gets created, it just doesn't contain the list of files. "DIRECTORIES", "??" and "FILES" do print to the file.

Thanks.

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

MathewCoyle — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:15:11 GMT

In the PythonWin interactive window[...]

Well there's your problem right there. Try it in IDLE.

If that doesn't work I would recommend reinstalling Python. Here's a thread with some good tips on repairing broken Python installations.

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

Zeke — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:28:05 GMT

IDLE returns NONE as well. It doesn't look like the link to the repairing installs thread you mentioned posted, though.

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

MathewCoyle — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:40:22 GMT

Oh, my mistake
http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/23230-quot-ImportError-No-module-named-arcpy-quot-PYTHON

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

BruceNielsen — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 13:25:41 GMT

I think your syntax on the join should be:

s += "\n".join(dir)

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

Zeke — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 13:25:43 GMT

Thanks for all the help. I reinstalled Python per the link in Mathew's suggestion, as well as the other fixes recommended. I modified the script as shown below to check the if statement, and the problem seems to be that os.path.isdir() and isfile() isn't recognizing files and directories (except for itself). It doesn't even recognize the other python script in the folder as a file. Is isdir/isfile deprecated and no longer supported? Even though the script recognizes itself, and runs properly from within the folder. Kind of baffling.

Revised script:

import os

prompt = "Please enter the directory path: "
dirPath = raw_input(prompt)
listing = os.listdir(dirPath)
fileName = r"C:\FileList.txt"
fileList = open(fileName, "w+")
fileList.write(dirPath + "\n\n")

fileList.write("DIRECTORIES:\n")
for dir in listing:
    if os.path.isdir(dir):
        fileList.write(dir + "\n")
    else:
        fileList.write("Not a directory: " + dir + "\n")
        #s += "\n".join(dir)

#fileList.write(s + "\n")

listing = os.listdir(dirPath)

fileList.write("\n")
fileList.write("FILES:\n")
for file in listing:
    if os.path.isfile(file):
         fileList.write(file + "\n")
    else:
        fileList.write("Not a file: " + file + "\n")

fileList.close()

prompt = "File list created at: " + fileName + "\nPress Enter"
ok = raw_input(prompt)

and output when run from a script not in the folder entered at the prompt (these are the correct files & folders):

C:\Users\gkeith\Desktop\PythonScripts

DIRECTORIES:
Not a directory: abc00000.txt
Not a directory: abc0000x.txt
Not a directory: abc000xx.txt
Not a directory: abc00zzz.txt
Not a directory: abc0xxxx.txt
Not a directory: abcuvwxyz.txt
Not a directory: abcxxxxx.txt
Not a directory: FileLister2.py
Not a directory: New folder
Not a directory: New folder (2)
Not a directory: New folder (3)
Not a directory: RenamePDF.py

FILES:
Not a file: abc00000.txt
Not a file: abc0000x.txt
Not a file: abc000xx.txt
Not a file: abc00zzz.txt
Not a file: abc0xxxx.txt
Not a file: abcuvwxyz.txt
Not a file: abcxxxxx.txt
FileLister2.py
Not a file: New folder
Not a file: New folder (2)
Not a file: New folder (3)
Not a file: RenamePDF.py

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

MathewCoyle — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:51:34 GMT

You might not be reading your dir properly. Try this on some directory. Replace "C:\\test" with yours.

import os testdir = "C:\\test" for dir in os.listdir(testdir):  dir = os.path.join(testdir,dir)  if os.path.isdir(dir):   print dir + " is a directory"  elif os.path.isfile(dir):   print dir + " is a file"  else:   print dir + " is not a directory"

Re: Scripts only work if in same folderas other files

Zeke — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:00:41 GMT

Success! Thanks Mathew, and everyone else. Not real sure why that worked for outside the same folder while the original worked, only, in the same folder, but that's ok. I though i took the isdir() syntax directly from documentation somewhere, but who knows?
Also switched to PyScripter instead of PythonWin. Doubt it made a difference in the code, but is a much nicer scripting environment. Now I'll try it with some arcpy imports.
Again, thanks much.