arcpy.CopyFeatures_management syntax?

[VincentLaunstorfer]

Hi,

In a python script, I use arcpy.CopyFeatures_management function but it certain situation, some parameters may have a white space such as:

C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp

Then, when running the script, arcpy.CopyFeatures_management interprets C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp as 2 parameters because of the white space.

Executing: CopyFeatures 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp' C:\ESRI\City_Points_point.shp # 0 0 0Start Time: Mon Aug 22 16:01:33 2016Failed to execute. Parameters are not valid.
‍‍

How would it be possible to arrange the syntax and have 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp' interpreted as just one parameter?

Thanks

[DanPatterson_Retired]

preference is to fix the file name to remove spaces...

alternate is raw formatting which may or may not work in all cases

current "C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp"

raw   r"C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp"   r in front

[VincentLaunstorfer]

Dan,

I understand what you mean... Indeed, the purpose of my script is to replace the white space in shapefiles contained in a workspace:

# Import arcpy module
import arcpy
import os

# Split input values using a semicolon.
inputs = sys.argv[1]
inputlist = inputs.split(";")

#Character to be replaced
old = sys.argv[2]

#New character
new = sys.argv[3]

outWorkspace = sys.argv[4]

try:
    # Loop through the list of inputs.
    for input in inputlist:

        arcpy.AddMessage("Input: "  + input)

        newname = input.replace(old, new)

        arcpy.AddMessage("Newname: "  + newname)
        
        #VALIDATE THE NEW FEATURE CLASS NAME FOR THE OUTPUT WORKSPACE
        output = outWorkspace + os.sep + newname[newname.rfind(os.sep)+1:]

        arcpy.AddMessage("Output: "  + output)
        
        #MESSAGE
        arcpy.AddMessage("Converting " + str(input[input.rfind(os.sep)+1:]) + " to " + str(output[output.rfind(os.sep)+1:]))
          
        #COPY FEATURES
        arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(input,output, "", "0", "0", "0")

        arcpy.Delete_management(input)
        arcpy.AddMessage(str(input[input.rfind(os.sep)+1:]) + " Deleted")

        arcpy.AddMessage("Processed" + "\n")              

except:
    arcpy.AddMessage(arcpy.GetMessages())

But it crashed when filemanes have white spaces!

Any guess?

[DanPatterson_Retired]

you should be using the Rename tool see the code snippet

[VincentLaunstorfer]

Dan,

I inserted the code for the Rename tool instead of copy tool in my script, as below.

But I still get an error:

Executing: ReplacingSHPBATCH 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp' " " _ C:\ESRI
Start Time: Tue Aug 23 12:44:00 2016
Running script ReplacingSHPBATCH...
Input: 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp'
Output: 'C:\ESRI\City_Points_point.shp'
Converting City Points_point.shp' to City_Points_point.shp'
Executing: Rename 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp' 'C:\ESRI\City_Points_point.shp' ShapeFile
Start Time: Tue Aug 23 12:44:00 2016
Failed to execute. Parameters are not valid.
ERROR 000732: Input Data Element: Dataset 'C:\ESRI\City Points_point.shp' does not exist or is not supported
Failed to execute (Rename).
Failed at Tue Aug 23 12:44:00 2016 (Elapsed Time: 0.01 seconds)
Completed script ReplacingSHPBATCH...
Succeeded at Tue Aug 23 12:44:00 2016 (Elapsed Time: 0.06 seconds)

Why?

# Import arcpy module
import arcpy
from arcpy import env
import os

# Split input values using a semicolon.
inputs = sys.argv[1]
inputlist = inputs.split(";")

#Character to be replaced
old = sys.argv[2]

#New character
new = sys.argv[3]

# Set workspace
env.workspace = sys.argv[4]

try:
    # Loop through the list of inputs.
    for input in inputlist:

        arcpy.AddMessage("Input: "  + input)
        output = input.replace(old, new)

        arcpy.AddMessage("Output: "  + output)
        
        #MESSAGE
        #arcpy.AddMessage("Converting " + str(input[input.rfind(os.sep)+1:]) + " to " + str(output[output.rfind(os.sep)+1:]))
          
        #COPY FEATURES
        #arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(input,output, "", "0", "0", "0")

        # Execute Rename
        arcpy.Rename_management(input, output, "ShapeFile")
        #arcpy.Delete_management(input)
        #arcpy.AddMessage(str(input[input.rfind(os.sep)+1:]) + " Deleted")

        arcpy.AddMessage("Processed" + "\n")              

except:
    arcpy.AddMessage(arcpy.GetMessages())

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Well it is going to be difficult since you have spaces in the paths, but you are obviously batching this and you need raw format to overcome the spaces... try a manual filename instead of sys.argv[1] with raw format and see if it works before further debugging

[VincentLaunstorfer]

That's better!

If I put the filename instead of sys.argv[1], it's works. It means the bug comes from the sys.argv[1]... The script cannot deal with the arguments properly!

input = "City Points_point.shp"

Any guess?

[JoshuaBixby]

I don't think the issue is having a space in the name, at least in terms of the geoprocessing tools themselves.  As much as I don't use spaces in geodata set names I create, I come across data with spaces in the names, and I have never had the Copy Features or Rename tool fail because a space existed.  As Dan mentioned, you will want to try raw string formatting to make sure the escape characters are being handled correctly.

[VincentLaunstorfer]

In this case, how can I use raw formatting in the syntax above with a variable?

r"input"? It does not work...

What is the correct syntax?

Thanks

[DanPatterson_Retired]

well, apparently you are running this as a tool, so perhaps a list of the tool parameters will be useful.  Featureclass for sys.argv[1] I presume? And since it is multivalue, a list of how you handled all the others as well would be useful.  I had assumed you were running this as a script