topic arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax? in Python Questions

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

VincentLaunstorfer — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 19:17:11 GMT

Hi,

In a python script, I use arcpy.CopyFeatures_management function but it certain situation, some parameters may have a white space such as:

C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp

Then, when running the script, arcpy.CopyFeatures_management interprets C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp as 2 parameters because of the white space.

Executing: CopyFeatures 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp' C:\ESRI\City_Points_point.shp # 0 0 0Start Time: Mon Aug 22 16:01:33 2016Failed to execute. Parameters are not valid.
‍‍

How would it be possible to arrange the syntax and have 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp' interpreted as just one parameter?

Thanks

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

DanPatterson_Retired — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:47:05 GMT

preference is to fix the file name to remove spaces...

alternate is raw formatting which may or may not work in all cases

current "C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp"

raw r"C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp" r in front

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

VincentLaunstorfer — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:56:05 GMT

Dan,

I understand what you mean... Indeed, the purpose of my script is to replace the white space in shapefiles contained in a workspace:

# Import arcpy module
import arcpy
import os
# Split input values using a semicolon.
inputs = sys.argv[1]
inputlist = inputs.split(";")
#Character to be replaced
old = sys.argv[2]
#New character
new = sys.argv[3]
outWorkspace = sys.argv[4]
try:
    # Loop through the list of inputs.
    for input in inputlist:
        arcpy.AddMessage("Input: " + input)
        newname = input.replace(old, new)
        arcpy.AddMessage("Newname: " + newname)

        #VALIDATE THE NEW FEATURE CLASS NAME FOR THE OUTPUT WORKSPACE
        output = outWorkspace + os.sep + newname[newname.rfind(os.sep)+1:]
        arcpy.AddMessage("Output: " + output)

        #MESSAGE
        arcpy.AddMessage("Converting " + str(input[input.rfind(os.sep)+1:]) + " to " + str(output[output.rfind(os.sep)+1:]))

        #COPY FEATURES
        arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(input,output, "", "0", "0", "0")
        arcpy.Delete_management(input)
        arcpy.AddMessage(str(input[input.rfind(os.sep)+1:]) + " Deleted")

        arcpy.AddMessage("Processed" + "\n")

except:
    arcpy.AddMessage(arcpy.GetMessages())

But it crashed when filemanes have white spaces!

Any guess?

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

DanPatterson_Retired — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 15:00:27 GMT

you should be using the Rename tool see the code snippet

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

VincentLaunstorfer — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 11:41:02 GMT

Dan,

I inserted the code for the Rename tool instead of copy tool in my script, as below.

But I still get an error:

Executing: ReplacingSHPBATCH 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp' " " _ C:\ESRI
Start Time: Tue Aug 23 12:44:00 2016
Running script ReplacingSHPBATCH...
Input: 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp'
Output: 'C:\ESRI\City_Points_point.shp'
Converting City Points_point.shp' to City_Points_point.shp'
Executing: Rename 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp' 'C:\ESRI\City_Points_point.shp' ShapeFile
Start Time: Tue Aug 23 12:44:00 2016
Failed to execute. Parameters are not valid.
ERROR 000732: Input Data Element: Dataset 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp' does not exist or is not supported
Failed to execute (Rename).
Failed at Tue Aug 23 12:44:00 2016 (Elapsed Time: 0.01 seconds)
Completed script ReplacingSHPBATCH...
Succeeded at Tue Aug 23 12:44:00 2016 (Elapsed Time: 0.06 seconds)

Why?

# Import arcpy module
import arcpy
from arcpy import env
import os
# Split input values using a semicolon.
inputs = sys.argv[1]
inputlist = inputs.split(";")
#Character to be replaced
old = sys.argv[2]
#New character
new = sys.argv[3]
# Set workspace
env.workspace = sys.argv[4]
try:
    # Loop through the list of inputs.
    for input in inputlist:
        arcpy.AddMessage("Input: " + input)
        output = input.replace(old, new)
        arcpy.AddMessage("Output: " + output)

        #MESSAGE
        #arcpy.AddMessage("Converting " + str(input[input.rfind(os.sep)+1:]) + " to " + str(output[output.rfind(os.sep)+1:]))

        #COPY FEATURES
        #arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(input,output, "", "0", "0", "0")
        # Execute Rename
        arcpy.Rename_management(input, output, "ShapeFile")
        #arcpy.Delete_management(input)
        #arcpy.AddMessage(str(input[input.rfind(os.sep)+1:]) + " Deleted")
        arcpy.AddMessage("Processed" + "\n")

except:
    arcpy.AddMessage(arcpy.GetMessages())

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 11:45:46 GMT

Well it is going to be difficult since you have spaces in the paths, but you are obviously batching this and you need raw format to overcome the spaces... try a manual filename instead of sys.argv[1] with raw format and see if it works before further debugging

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

VincentLaunstorfer — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 12:59:37 GMT

That's better!

If I put the filename instead of sys.argv[1], it's works. It means the bug comes from the sys.argv[1]... The script cannot deal with the arguments properly!

input = "City Points_point.shp"

Any guess?

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

JoshuaBixby — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 13:09:51 GMT

I don't think the issue is having a space in the name, at least in terms of the geoprocessing tools themselves. As much as I don't use spaces in geodata set names I create, I come across data with spaces in the names, and I have never had the Copy Features or Rename tool fail because a space existed. As Dan mentioned, you will want to try raw string formatting to make sure the escape characters are being handled correctly.

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

VincentLaunstorfer — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 13:15:01 GMT

In this case, how can I use raw formatting in the syntax above with a variable?

r"input"? It does not work...

What is the correct syntax?

Thanks

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 14:19:19 GMT

well, apparently you are running this as a tool, so perhaps a list of the tool parameters will be useful. Featureclass for sys.argv[1] I presume? And since it is multivalue, a list of how you handled all the others as well would be useful. I had assumed you were running this as a script

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

VincentLaunstorfer — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 14:27:16 GMT

Dan,

You're right. Attached here is the complete toolbox. The python script should be imported into it.

For parameters, the dialog box should speak itself...

Thanks

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 17:50:11 GMT

sadly... on an iPad until tonight

Re: arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

VincentLaunstorfer — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 07:41:01 GMT

Just for a follow-up, I decided to replace white spaces with underscore _ using a little software called Siren to rename files... It does the job for the time being and avoid crashing Python scripts!

Though, I'd like to understand where the problem was! Either the dialog box not passing arguments (filenames) properly because of white spaces or anything else...