topic Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS in Python Questions

Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

Adil_Toorawa — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 10:31:08 GMT

Hi,

I have a list as follows;

Object ID Field 1

1 Example,Example

2 ,Example,Example,Example

3 ,Example

I want to remove just the first comma.

I would appreciate your assistance.

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

DanPatterson_Retired — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 02:44:19 GMT

lots of ways, but a simple code block might do it

# ---- code block
def func(a):
    if a[0] == ',':
        return a[1:]
    else:
        return a

# --- 'a' is your field name with the python parser, the expression would be
#      func(!YourFieldNameHere!


a = 'Example,Example'

a
'Example,Example'

b = ',Example,Example,Example'

func(b)
'Example,Example,Example'‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

DanPatterson_Retired — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 02:44:21 GMT

Or more simply as a straight field calculation... python parser

replace 'a' with your field name in exclamation marks as above

a = ',Example,Example,Example'

[a, a[1:]][a[0] == ',']
Out[27]: 'Example,Example,Example'‍‍‍‍

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

Adil_Toorawa — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 11:18:29 GMT

Hi Dan, thanks for this however it doesn't seem to work. I replaced 'a' with my field name. I am using field calculator. Do i have to add anything in codeblock?

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 11:30:08 GMT

Set the field calculator to following for the second example

python parser
make sure that you have activated your new field ie 'newfield
!fieldnamehere! is the name of the old field containing the data
[!fieldnamehere!, !fieldnamehere![1:]][!fieldnamehere![0] == ',']

And if you are getting an error, then show it.

As for the code block, nothing needs to be changed, but your expression box would call the function with

func(!fieldnamehere!)

Of course, python parser and you are calculating values in a new text field.

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

Adil_Toorawa — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 11:56:22 GMT

Done it. Thanks.

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 12:08:49 GMT

Adil... perhaps you could mark the thread Answered with the one that provided you the answer so others know a solution was reached and what one was used

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

XanderBakker — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 02:44:24 GMT

In case you have multiple commas at the start you could use this function in the code block:

def EliminateStartignCommas(txt):
    while txt[0] == ',':
        txt = txt[1:]
    return txt‍‍‍‍

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

PeteCrosier — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 14:47:25 GMT

You could also use txt.lstrip(",")

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

JoeBorgione — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 14:54:10 GMT

And just to play devils advocate.... What about a find and replace for " , " at the start of the field?

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

DanPatterson_Retired — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 02:44:27 GMT

To be completely inclusive

txt = "!A simple question becomes a Monty Python Circus"

['Good','Grief!!!'][txt[0] in '!"#$%&\'()*+,-./:;<=>?@[\\]^_`{|}~']

'Grief!!'‍‍‍‍‍

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

BryanL — Wed, 09 May 2018 01:51:04 GMT

Hi All,

I have a somewhat similar question that I have problem solving

Object ID Field

1 Apple.

2 Orange.

3 Egg

I would like to remove the trailing "." if any. However my code below simply check the string and remove all last characters.

Trim(Left([Field], LEN([Field])-1))

Appreciate any help.

Cheers

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

PeteCrosier — Wed, 09 May 2018 08:42:46 GMT

Easiest way is probably using a Python expression, something like !field!.rstrip(".")

Re: Is there a way to remove a specific character from a string in ArcGIS

TedKowal — Wed, 09 May 2018 14:41:28 GMT

IF right([Field],1) = "." then

[Field] = Trim(Left([Field],LEN([Field])-1))

ELSE

[Field]=Trim([Field])

END IF