topic Re: trying to change text with ListLayoutElements, in Python Questions

trying to change text with ListLayoutElements,

petegillard — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 16:15:02 GMT

it only works searcing with actual string. can't find the text when i use * . changing date and path strings, so they're not all the same.

ex.

for dA in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd, "TEXT_ELEMENT"):

     if dA.text == 'DATE: 10/10/2011':
         dA.text = 'Date: <dyn type="date" format=""/>' THIS WORKS

for fp in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd, "TEXT_ELEMENT"):
if fp.text == 'FILE: *':
fp.text = 'Document Path: <dyn type="document" property="path"/>' THIS DOESN'T WORK

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Pete

Re: trying to change text with ListLayoutElements,

IanMurray — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 18:04:03 GMT

Maybe try the reverse logic to this.

Using the in operater you can check if a string contains a subtring, that way you don't need a wildcard

for fp in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd, "TEXT_ELEMENT"):
if 'FILE: ' in fp.text:
fp.text = 'Document Path: <dyn type="document" property="path"/>'

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3437059/does-python-have-a-string-contains-substring-method

Re: trying to change text with ListLayoutElements,

DarrenWiens2 — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 18:13:03 GMT

... or:

if fp.text.startswith('FILE: '): ‍

Re: trying to change text with ListLayoutElements,

petegillard — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 19:09:14 GMT

Thanks to BOTH responses. It worked beautifully!!

Re: trying to change text with ListLayoutElements,

petegillard — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 19:10:02 GMT

Thanks to BOTH responses. It worked beautifully!!

Re: trying to change text with ListLayoutElements,

IanMurray — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 19:39:21 GMT

Can you please mark the question as answered?