10.7 Custom Toolbox; buffer tool error 000728: field <output features> does not exist within the table

[IanBoddie]

import arcpy

arcpy.env.OverwriteOutput = True


class Toolbox(object):
    def __init__(self):

        self.label = "StreamAnalysisTools"
        self.alias = "DBGWetlandRestTools"

        # List of tool classes associated with this toolbox
        self.tools = [BufferExtract, SlopeAndStreamAnalysis]


class BufferExtract(object):
    def __init__(self):
        self.label = "1. Identify Study Area"
        self.description = "This tool uses a Streamlines Shapefile to create a buffer of 50m, " \
                           "then uses buffer Features to Extract by Mask from DEM Raster. "
        self.canRunInBackground = True

    def getParameterInfo(self):
        param0 = arcpy.Parameter(
            displayName="Input Stream Features",
            name="inStreams",
            datatype=["DEFeatureClass", "DEShapefile", "DeFeatureDataset", "DELayer"],
            parameterType="Required",
            direction="Input"
        )
        param1 = arcpy.Parameter(
            displayName="Input Buffer Distance",
            name="bufferDist",
            datatype="GPLinearUnit",
            parameterType="Required",
            direction="Input"
        )
        param1.value = 50

        param2 = arcpy.Parameter(
            displayName="Output Buffer Features",
            name="outBuffer",
            datatype="DEFeatureClass",
            parameterType="Required",
            direction="Output"
        )

        param3 = arcpy.Parameter(
            displayName="Input DEM Raster",
            name="inRaster",
            datatype="DERasterDataset",
            parameterType="Required",
            direction="Input"
        )

        param4 = arcpy.Parameter(
            displayName="Output Extracted Raster",
            name="outRaster",
            datatype="DERasterDataset",
            parameterType="Required",
            direction="Output"
        )

        params = [param0, param1, param2, param3, param4]
        return params

    def isLicensed(self):
        if arcpy.CheckExtension("Spatial") == "Available":
            return True
        else:
            return False

    def updateParameters(self, parameters):

        return

    def updateMessages(self, parameters):

        return

    def execute(self, parameters, messages):
        infeatures = parameters[0].valueAsText
        bufferdist = parameters[1].valueAsText
        outbuffer = parameters[2].valueAsText
        inraster = parameters[3].valueAsText
        outraster = parameters[4].valueAsText

        mask = arcpy.Buffer_analysis(infeatures, bufferdist, outbuffer)
        arcpy.gp.ExtractByMask_sa(inraster, mask, outraster)

        return
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Here is my code segment. I can't figure out what is going wrong, but when I run this, it fails at the buffer stage and returns ERROR 000728: Field (buffer output file) does not exist within table

[DanPatterson_Retired]

param2 input dem raster

execute param2 outbuffer

are they in the correct order?

[IanBoddie]

That's just a small mistake in transferring my code over. It's fixed in the current version, but still returning the error, even in the right order

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Ian, maybe you can format the current version instead of using a screen grab, so people can comment with line number references

/blogs/dan_patterson/2016/08/14/script-formatting 

[IanBoddie]

Alright, I changed that. Thanks for the tip! Hope this helps

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Buffer—Help | ArcGIS Desktop 

buffer doesn't return anything, it just does it, so your 'mask' isn't there, you will have to use the results of buffer in your next step

ie      outbuffer not mask)
        arcpy.gp.ExtractByMask_sa(inraster, mask, outraster)

[IanBoddie]

Right, but that's not the issue I'm having. It's the buffer step that's failing and returning the error. (Also, the process as written has worked in the past, when the buffer step was running).

[IanBoddie · Accepted solution]

I figured it out; buffer arguments were in the wrong order, and missing optional args. This fixed my problem.