topic Re: CalculateField error in Python Questions

CalculateField error

Zeke — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:25:23 GMT

I'm getting an ExecuteError, error 000539, in the code below when Calculating the field. The error appears to be on the second instance of fc, fc.capitalize(), because when I take out the capitalize(), I get the same error but without the capitalized name. I can't figure out what the problem is. Any ideas? Thanks.

# code

fds = 'RawFramework'

newfield = 'CountyName'

lstRawFCs = arcpy.ListFeatureClasses(None, 'All', fds)

for fc in lstRawFCs:

try:

arcpy.AddField_management(fc, newfield, 'TEXT', field_length = 25, field_alias = 'County Name')

arcpy.CalculateField_management(fc, newfield, fc.capitalize(), 'PYTHON_9.3')

except Exception as e:

print(e.message, e.__class__)

# sample error

(CalculateField).\n', <class 'arcgisscripting.ExecuteError'>)

('ERROR 000539: Error running expression: St_clair \nTraceback (most recent call last):\n File "<expression>", line 1, in <module>\nNameError: name \'San_Diego\' is not defined\n\nFailed to execute (CalculateField).\n', <class 'arcgisscripting.ExecuteError'>)

Re: CalculateField error

Zeke — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:52:27 GMT

Solved. Needed quotes around the value.

value = '"' + fc.capitalize() + '"'

arcpy.CalculateField_management(fc, newfield, value, 'PYTHON_9.3')

Re: CalculateField error

curtvprice — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 20:23:05 GMT

You are correct, string expressions in a python expression string need quotes.

Single and double are interchangeable in Python (although the pairs must match). I try to use double as the "outside" quotes just for consistency as this seems to match what they do in the documentation and I find it easier to see.

I usually use string formatting of Python, SQL, and string expressions to make my code easier to read:

value = "'{0}'".format(fc.capitalize())
arcpy.CalculateField_management(fc, newfield, value, 'PYTHON_9.3')

Posting Code blocks in the new GeoNet‌

Re: CalculateField error

RachelGomez — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 06:47:07 GMT

Try importing your shapefile into a GDB as a table before preforming a Join or Relate. This can be completed many ways, such as from Catalog, right click on your GDB and select Import > Table(s). Then perfor the join on this table in your GDB not the CSV.

Regards,

Rachel Gomez