topic Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7 in Python Questions

Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

BlytheSchembri1 — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 02:20:31 GMT

Hi guys

I have a python script (written in 2.7) with takes a shapefile, renames it and then imports it into a SDE geodatabase. The creators of the shapefile have recently changed the file name to have a full stop halfway through the name which now causes the script to crash.

I have tried running the following section of python to rename the shapefile but it only renames the .shp file and no other files that are part of the shapefile:

arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\\Users\\blythe schembri\\Downloads"
datasets = arcpy.ListFeatureClasses()
for fc in datasets:
CorrectName = fc.replace('dbo.vNT_','')
arcpy.Rename_management(fc, CorrectName[:-4])

How do I make it rename all the shapefile components?

Thanks

Blythe

Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

JoeBorgione — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 03:27:30 GMT

You'd want to use python (not arcpy) to rename all the files. But... Since your moving the shape file why not just rename it as you move it to your egdb? See Copy Features—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS Desktop

Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

JoshuaBixby — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 14:32:59 GMT

Could you provide a sample or example of a new shape file name?

Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

BlytheSchembri1 — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 22:52:41 GMT

An example new name would be Fences.shp

Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

JoshuaBixby — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 22:59:51 GMT

What about an example of the original/old name with the full stop in it?

Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

BlytheSchembri1 — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 00:02:28 GMT

An example is dbo.vNT_Fence.shp

Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

JoshuaBixby — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 06:21:55 GMT

If the naming convention is consistent, i.e., you always want everything after an underscore, does this work for you?

>>> name = r"dbo.vNT_Fence.shp"
>>> name.split("_")[1]
'Fence.shp'
>>> arcpy.Rename_management(name, name.split("_")[1])
>>> ‍‍‍‍‍

Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

BlytheSchembri1 — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 23:14:40 GMT

I've had a chance to try making this script work again. Thank you all for your help.

I think I'm going to go with the copy features option.

The code above only renames the .shp file and not the others. In theory do I need to use a wildcard instead of .shp?

Thanks

Blythe

Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

JoshuaBixby — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 01:05:02 GMT

The Rename tool only renames the *.shp file and not the associated files?

Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

BlytheSchembri1 — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 01:10:00 GMT

Yep! very weird.

I've even exported the python script from ArcMap and when I run it outside ArcGIS it only renames the *.shp file

Re: Renaming a shapefile in Python 2.7

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 08:08:52 GMT

Copy Features—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS Desktop

would be your best option to recreate the old shapefile under a new name and to make a featureclass.

Your original would be retained, and could be archived if needed or dumped via windows explorer