topic Re: Update shape with arcpy.management.CalculateField SQL expression in Python Questions

Update shape with arcpy.management.CalculateField SQL expression

EugeneSosnin_GSI — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 18:52:18 GMT

I have a local mobile geodatabase with a polyline featureclass (with Z and M values). The database has loaded stgeometry_sqlite.dll extension and OGC Tables created.

I am trying to update SHAPE values with arcpy.management.CalculateField method and SQL expression. The function to build expression:

def make_case_expression(oid_field, oid_to_wkt, wkid): """ oid_field - string, e.g. 'OBJECTID' oids_to_wkt - dict, with structure: {int OBJECTID: text WKT shape} wkid - int, WKID number, e.g. 3500 """ lines = ["CASE"] for oid, wkt in oid_to_wkt.items(): lines.append(f" WHEN {oid_field} = {int(oid)} THEN st_geometry('{wkt}', {wkid})") lines.append(" ELSE SHAPE") lines.append("END") return "\n".join(lines)

It creates an expression like (fake coords):

"CASE\n  WHEN OBJECTID = 12 THEN st_geometry('MULTILINESTRING Z ((6250000.0 1956000.0 0, 6250800.0 1956000.0 0))', 3500)\n  WHEN OBJECTID = 13 THEN st_geometry('MULTILINESTRING Z ((6250900.0 1956000.0 0, 6250800.0 1956000.0 0))', 3500)\n ELSE SHAPE\nEND"

Then I run function to Calculate Field:

arcpy.management.CalculateField( in_table=path_lines, field="SHAPE", expression=exp, expression_type="SQL" )

...and catch an error:

File C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro\Resources\ArcPy\arcpy\management.py:8504, in CalculateField(in_table, field, expression, expression_type, code_block, field_type, enforce_domains) 8500 from arcpy.arcobjects.arcobjectconversion import convertArcObjectToPythonObject 8502 try: 8503 retval = convertArcObjectToPythonObject( -> 8504 gp.CalculateField_management( 8505 *gp_fixargs( 8506 (in_table, field, expression, expression_type, code_block, field_type, enforce_domains), True 8507 ) 8508 ) 8509 ) 8510 return retval 8511 except Exception as e: File C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro\Resources\ArcPy\arcpy\geoprocessing\_base.py:533, in Geoprocessor.__getattr__.<locals>.<lambda>(*args) 531 val = getattr(self._gp, attr) 532 if callable(val): --> 533 return lambda *args: val(*gp_fixargs(args, True)) 534 else: 535 return convertArcObjectToPythonObject(val) ExecuteError: ERROR 999999: Something unexpected caused the tool to fail. Contact Esri Technical Support (http://esriurl.com/support) to Report a Bug, and refer to the error help for potential solutions or workarounds. User transaction in progress -- operation not allowed Failed to execute (CalculateField).

Appreciate any ideas

Re: Update shape with arcpy.management.CalculateField SQL expression

DanPatterson — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 19:20:27 GMT

any pending edits on the file that haven't been saved?

Re: Update shape with arcpy.management.CalculateField SQL expression

EugeneSosnin_GSI — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 19:23:42 GMT

No pending edits

Re: Update shape with arcpy.management.CalculateField SQL expression

TonyAlmeida — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 16:09:45 GMT

Wrap your calculation in an edit session.

import arcpy # Start an edit session edit = arcpy.da.Editor(arcpy.env.workspace) edit.startEditing(False, True) # False for non-versioned, True for multiuser try: edit.startOperation() arcpy.management.CalculateField( in_table=path_lines, field="SHAPE", expression=exp, expression_type="SQL" ) edit.stopOperation() edit.stopEditing(True) # True to save changes except Exception as e: edit.stopOperation() edit.stopEditing(False) # False to discard changes raise e

or Instead of CalculateField, use an UpdateCursor

with arcpy.da.UpdateCursor(feature_class, ["OBJECTID", "SHAPE@"]) as cursor: for oid, shape in cursor: if oid in oid_to_wkt: geom = arcpy.FromWKT(oid_to_wkt[oid], arcpy.SpatialReference(wkid)) cursor.updateRow((oid, geom))

Re: Update shape with arcpy.management.CalculateField SQL expression

HaydenWelch — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 19:28:23 GMT

If you don't initiate a transaction, there can be 'pending edits' because another part of your code grabbed a lock and never released it. The error you're getting seems to be some uncleared lock on the table.

Re: Update shape with arcpy.management.CalculateField SQL expression

EugeneSosnin_GSI — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:16:31 GMT

CalculateField operation is not allowed during Editing operation. There is no lock I am sure 100%. PS. if there's lock it returns error: 464.

Re: Update shape with arcpy.management.CalculateField SQL expression

EugeneSosnin_GSI — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 20:55:33 GMT

Sadly to say, but your code is wrong. CalculateField operation with SQL parameter is not allowed during Editing operation.

There is a reason, I tried to use CalculateField with SQL parameter, as it's more performative. Current solution I have: split edits into chunks and run UpdateCursor. But I am still interested in CalculateField with SQL.

Also your code would be better (more Pythonic) if formatted:

with arcpy.da.Editor(workspace):

with arcpy.da.UpdateCursor(path, fields, qry) as cur:

for row in cur:

<edits>

.....

If there's an error, edits won't be saved.