topic Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists in Python Questions

Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

TheoFaull — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 13:47:23 GMT

Hi guys and gals,

I have a script which exports a shapefile to a folder. The output file name is 'Properties.shp'. This file is contasntly accessed by a server machine, therefore it has a LOCK file on it.

When I run the script for a second time, it often fails because it detects that and older version of 'Properties.shp' is already sitting in the folder. So when I update this file I have to manually ammend the script to write 'Properties2.shp' as the new output file name to avoid a clash.

Any ideas of how I can get around this? The overwrite = true function won't work as a LOCK file prevents this.

What I want is for the script to rename the output file 'Properties[current_date].shp'

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

IanMurray — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 14:25:47 GMT

You can use Arcpy.Exists to check if the dataset already exists and if it does, make the output a concatenation of the current date with the name and file type of your output.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/311627/how-to-print-date-in-a-regular-format-in-python

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

TedKowal — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 17:40:05 GMT

movdir = r"C:\Scans"
basedir = r"C:\Links"
# Walk through all files in the directory that contains the files to copy
for root, dirs, files in os.walk(movdir):
    for filename in files:
        # I use absolute path, case you want to move several dirs.
        old_name = os.path.join( os.path.abspath(root), filename )

        # Separate base from extension
        base, extension = os.path.splitext(filename)

        # Initial new name
        new_name = os.path.join(basedir, base, filename)

        # If folder basedir/base does not exist... You don't want to create it?
        if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(basedir, base)):
            print os.path.join(basedir,base), "not found" 
            continue    # Next filename
        elif not os.path.exists(new_name):  # folder exists, file does not
            shutil.copy(old_name, new_name)
        else:  # folder exists, file exists as well
            ii = 1
            while True:
                new_name = os.path.join(basedir,base, base + "_" + str(ii) + extension)
                if os.path.exists(newname):
                   shutil.copy(old_name, new_name)
                   print "Copied", old_name, "as", new_name
                   break 
                ii += 1‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

TheoFaull — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 16:31:26 GMT

Let's just say I always want the output file name to include the current date (and time), how can I ammend the output part of the code? So far I've managed to import datetime and time and print it:

import datetime
import time

print datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%y-%m-%d-%H-%M")

But what do I write in the output section?

arcpy.FeatureClassToFeatureClass_conversion(Sheet1__Layer, CuroProperties, "Properties.shp" + datetime ???????????

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

IanMurray — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 17:40:07 GMT

I would recommend setting the current date and time to a variable and concatenating it into your file name.

import datetime
import time

 

Cur_Date =  datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%y-%m-%d-%H-%M")

print "current date and time is " + Cur_Date

Output_Shape = "Properties-" + Cur_Date + ".shp"

print "New shapefile being written will be called " + Output_Shape

arcpy.FeatureClassToFeatureClass_conversion(Sheet1_Layer, CuroProperties, Output_Shape) 


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Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

TheoFaull — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 16:55:47 GMT

I inserted your code into my code and got:

File "C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\Desktop10.4\ArcPy\arcpy\conversion.py", line 1694, in FeatureClassToFeatureClass
raise e
ExecuteError: ERROR 000354: The name contains invalid characters
Failed to execute (FeatureClassToFeatureClass).

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

TheoFaull — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 16:56:45 GMT

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

IanMurray — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 17:26:16 GMT

The hyphens are invalid characters for the shapefile name, replace them all with underscores and it should work fine.

Cur_Date = datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%y_%m_%d_%H_%M")

Output_Shape = "Properties_" + Cur_Date + ".shp"

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

TheoFaull — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 08:38:51 GMT

Thanks that's brill iamurray‌

Is there any way I can make the date format like 'Mar_27_2017'

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

DanPatterson_Retired — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 08:44:14 GMT

... check datetime ...options ie datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%y_%m_%d_%H_%M") can all be rearranged

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

TheoFaull — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 09:09:42 GMT

OK thanks. Lots of info on that page. I don't think I can set it to output a short text month format however (Jan, Feb, Mar etc.)

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

DanPatterson_Retired — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 09:28:08 GMT

patience... it is all there

d.strftime("%A %d. %B %Y")
'Monday 11. March 2002'

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

TheoFaull — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 11:38:50 GMT

Thanks again,

But I'm looking for the first 3 characters of the month. I wonder if I can get 'Mar17' for March 2017.

print datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%B%y")

gives me March17...

I need Mar17

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

DanPatterson_Retired — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 17:40:10 GMT

you can always improvise if there isn't something in advance...

>>> import datetime
>>> d = datetime.datetime.now()
>>> dd = d.strftime("%d %B %Y").split(" ")
>>> dd
['27', 'March', '2017']
>>> "{}_{}_{}".format(dd[0], dd[1][:3], dd[2])
'27_Mar_2017'
>>> ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Re: Python help- changing output file name if name already exists

TheoFaull — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:52:28 GMT

thank you very much!

I would improvise if I knew how to. I'm still learning the ropes you see...

cheers!