Data driven pages. File name format

[JukkaHellen1]

It would be great if it would be possible to create custom formats for the file names that are produced by the data driven pages feature. Now it looks like this in ArcGIS 10 (ArcMap):



You can choose etiher index, name or page number to be included in the file name

I think it should be done as in most file renaming tools:
The file names could be named using format strings like %D = date %C = creator %n = page number %N = page name etc.
Here's a couple of examples from Thunar File manager:

• %A The full weekday name according to the current locale.
• %b The abbreviated month name according to the current locale.
• %B The full month name according to the current locale.
• %c The preferred date and time representation for the current locale.
• %d The day of the month as a decimal number (range 01 to 31).
• %F Equivalent to %Y-%m-%d (the ISO 8601 date format).
• %H The hour as a decimal number using a 24-hour clock (range 00 to 23).

With this you could automagically create files that contain both page name, number and some other data.  Example: helsinki_%n_%N.pdf would create helsinki_1_east.pdf where 1 is the page number and east is the page name.

 

[DeanAnderson2]

Currently the files name option in the Export Layout MapSeries Pane includes only three options as follows: 

Could we have a new option: Multiple PDF Files (Page Name as File name). We use a field for naming the output file (pdf).  Having only a suffix option means we have to delete the layout name after producing (exporting) the layout files. 

[KoryKramer]

It's a bit of a hack, but if you leave the name blank, then the page name as the "suffix" will simply be the pdf file name.  

In the image below you can see that I'm exporting to my C:/EXPORTS folder and I leave everything after EXPORTS blank.  When I choose 'Multiple PDF Files (Page name as suffix)' the parameter changes to C:/EXPORTS/.pdf and the separate pdfs are created using only the Page Name for the file name.

(In this case, my page name is 5).

[DeanAnderson2]

You are correct.  That will work for now.  But... still think the naming options should be added. 

Thanks 

[KoryKramer]

You're welcome.  Glad that it helps you name your pdfs how you need to now.  

The idea is still open.

Cheers

[JeffBarrette]

Hello Dean.  We have a mid-term issue: "Allow dynamic formatting when creating a map series output file name."  It is related to another IDEA that we got a while ago: https://community.esri.com/ideas/4323-data-driven-pages-file-name-format

I will add you new IDEA to our issue.  I'm sure you are aware that with a very simple Python script you would have complete control of output file name.

@KoryKramer is might be worth combining these two IDEAS, just an idea.