Calculate Field (reclassifying numeric to numeric) Python code not working

[RachelHough]

I'm fairly certain that this is a VERY simple issue but I cannot figure it out as I'm a beginner. I'm trying to use a Python code to populate a new field in the attribute table based on values in another. I've added a new numeric field called BusTypeNumeric2 and would like to reclassify the existing numeric field BusTypeNumeric to populate it. BusTypeNumeric ranges from 1 to 5, and I would like to reclassify so that 1=1, 2=1, 3=2, 4=2, and 5=3. 

My expression(?) is:

BusTypeNumeric2=reclass(!BusTypeNumeric!)

The code block is:

def reclass(BusTypeNumeric):
    if (BusTypeNumeric == '1'):
        return '1'
    elif (BusTypeNumeric == '2'):
        return '1'
    elif (BusTypeNumeric == '3'):
        return '2'
    elif (BusTypeNumeric == '4'):
        return '2'
    elif (BusTypeNumeric == '5'):
        return '3'

When I verify the expression it comes back valid and when I run it it says that the operation was completed, but it doesn't change anything in the target field; BusTypeNumeric2 values are still all <Null> afterward. I've heard that if the fields are numeric, then you can use one = instead of two, but when I use one =, the code block comes up as invalid and I'm told to use two.

Any insight as to what I may be doing wrong? I'm happy to provide more information! 

[CodyPatterson · Accepted solution]

Hey @RachelHough 

I think the only issue really is that when you're entering the function in the calculate field, it should be something like reclass(!BusTypeNumeric!) like this:

You may also want to try and check for the integer rather than the string '1' would be a string, something like this, just depends on if they are Text or not, I'd try both:

def reclass(BusTypeNumeric):
    if BusTypeNumeric == 1:
        return 1
    elif BusTypeNumeric == 2:
        return 1
    elif BusTypeNumeric == 3:
        return 2
    elif BusTypeNumeric == 4:
        return 2
    elif BusTypeNumeric == 5:
        return 3

The difference between = and == is a single = is for assignment, so test = 1, and the == is for an equivalency check, so if test == 1 which it does then it passes the if statement, in Python you can also leave out the parenthesis around the conditions!

Let me know if that helps!

Cody

[RachelHough]

Thank you!!! All I had to do was remove the apostrophes from the numbers as you demonstrated. This is a bit confusing to me by since the single = didn't work; I thought that double = were used with text values, which led me to believe that the apostrophes needed to be used with values. 

[DanPatterson]

In python    =   the assignment statement

                   ==   the equality check

[DanPatterson · Accepted solution]

Confirm you field types.  That is, the source field BusTypeNumeric, is it a text field or an integer type field?

The following shows the variants.

# -- checks for a text representation of the integer 1
BusTypeNumeric == '1'
# -- checks for the integer 1
BusTypeNumeric == 1

The destination field can be either text or numeric, but you can't put '1' in a numeric field, it has to be 1