Creating Multiple Shapes from a Single Shapefile

[TrevorMillward]

We used to be able to create multiple shapes from a single shapefile in 9.3.1  Now we have 10 and can't run our VB tools.  Does anyone have a python script for this?

I found an old script on the ESRI website from re-edited in 2010 for this.  I get this failiure when I run it;  <type 'exceptions.KeyError'>: 'ARCGISHOME'
Failed to execute (SplitLayerByAttributes).

This is the code:

#SplitLayerByAttributes.py
'''
Author:
  Dan Patterson
  Dept of Geography and Environmental Studies
  Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
  Dan_Patterson@carleton.ca

Date created June 23 2005
Modified     Jan  24 2010

Purpose:
  Converts each shape in a feature class to a separate shapefile

Properties (right-click on the tool and specify the following)
General
  Name   SplitLayerByAttributes
  Label  Split Layer By Attributes
  Desc   Splits a layer according to attributes within the selected field producing
         a separate shapefile for common attributes.

Source script SplitLayerByAttributes.py

Parameter list
                              Parameter Properties
          Display Name         Data type        Type      Direction  MultiValue
  argv[1]  Input feature class  Feature Layer    Required  Input      No
  argv[2]  Field to query       Field            Required  Input      No
  argv[3]  File basename        String           Optional  Input      No
  argv[4]  Output folder        Folder           Required  Input      No
'''
#--------------------------------------------------------------------
#Functions

def gp_create(vers=None):
  '''create the geoprocessor, 9.3, 9.2 or empty for win32com.client.Dispatch'''
  if vers >= 9.2:   #try 9.2 or above
    try:
      import arcgisscripting
      gp = arcgisscripting.create(vers)
      gp_version = vers
    except:
      import arcgisscripting
      gp = arcgisscripting.create()
      gp_version = 9.2
  else:
    try:
      import win32com.client
      gp = win32com.client.Dispatch("esriGeoprocessing.GpDispatch.1")
      gp_version = 9.1
    except:
      gp = None
      gp_version = 9.1
  #
  return [gp, gp_version]

def gp_toolboxes(toolboxes, gp):
  '''a list of toolboxes to add to the geoprocessor, gp'''
  tbx_home = os.environ['ARCGISHOME'].replace("\\","/") + \
             "ArcToolbox/Toolboxes/"
  msg = ""
  passed = True
  for a_tbx in toolboxes:
    try:
      tbx = tbx_home + a_tbx
      gp.AddToolbox(tbx)
      msg = msg + "\n  Adding toolbox: " + str(tbx)
    except:
      msg = msg + "\n  The toolbox:  " + str(tbx) + \
            "\n  could not be loaded.  Check your toolbox path " + \
            "\n  and availability, edit BoundingContainers.py to " + \
            "\n  reflect its location."
      passed = False
  return [gp, msg, passed]

#--------------------------------------------------------------------
#Import the standard modules and the geoprocessor
#
import os, sys, string  #common examples

gp, gp_version = gp_create(9.2)  #use 9.2 gp to permit enumerations

gp, msg, passed = gp_toolboxes(["Data Management Tools.tbx"], gp)

gp.AddMessage(msg)
if not passed:
  gp.AddMessage("\n  Exiting ..... \n")
  del gp
  sys.exit()
 
gp.OverWriteOutput = 1
#
#Get the input feature class, optional fields and the output filename
inFC = sys.argv[1]
inField = sys.argv[2]
theFName = sys.argv[3]
outFolder = sys.argv[4]
desc = gp.Describe
theType = desc(inFC).ShapeType
FullName = desc(inFC).CatalogPath
thePath = (os.path.split(FullName)[0]).replace("\\","/")
if theFName != "#":
  theFName = theFName.replace(" ","_")
else:
  theFName = (os.path.split(FullName)[1]).replace(".shp","")

outFolder = outFolder.replace("\\","/")

#Determine if the field is integer, decimal (0 scale) or string field

gp.AddMessage("\n  Checking for appropriate field type" \
              + "(  string, decimal (0 scale) or integer)")


theFields = gp.ListFields(inFC)
inType = ""
OIDField = desc(inFC).OIDFieldName
OKFields = [OIDField]
aField = theFields.next()
gp.AddMessage("%-10s %-10s %-6s %-6s " % ("Field","Type","Scale","Useable"))

while aField:
  fType = aField.Type
  fScale = aField.Scale
  fName = aField.Name
  if fName == inField:
    inType = fType   #used to determine field type later on
    inScale = fScale
    inName = fName
  isOK = "Y"
  if (fType == "String"):
    OKFields.append(fName)
  elif ((fScale == 0) and (fType not in ["Geometry", "Date"])):
    OKFields.append(fName)
  else:
    isOK = "N"
   
  gp.AddMessage("%-10s %-10s %-6s %-6s " % (fName, fType, fScale,isOK))
  aField = theFields.next()
#
if inField not in OKFields:
  gp.AddMessage("The field " + inField + " is not an appropriate" + \
                " field type.  Terminating operation.  " + \
                "Convert date fiels to strings, and ensure integers " \
                "are positive" + "\n") 
  del gp
  sys.exit()
# 
#Determine unique values in the selected field

gp.AddMessage(inField + " is being queried for unique values.")
valueList = []
rows = gp.SearchCursor(inFC)
row = rows.next()
aString = ""
aLen = 0; aFac = 1

while row:
  aVal = row.GetValue(inField)
  if aVal not in valueList:
    valueList.append(aVal)
    aLen = len(aString)
    if aLen > 50 * aFac:
      aString = aString + "\n"
      aFac = aFac + 1
    aString = aString + " " + str(aVal)
  row = rows.next()
gp.AddMessage("Unique values: " + "\n" + aString)
#
gp.AddMessage("\n  Processing: " + FullName )
#
#Do the actual work of producing the unique shapefiles
aMax = 1
for aVal in valueList:
  aMax = max(aMax, len(str(aVal)))
for aVal in valueList:
  if (str(aVal).isdigit()) and (not inType == "String"):
    fs = '"' + "%" + str(aMax) + "." + str(aMax) + 'i"'
    aSuffix = fs % aVal
    aVal = str(aVal)
  elif inType == "Double" and inScale == 0:
    aSuffix = str(aVal).replace(".0","")  ######
    aVal = str(aVal).replace(".0","")
  else:
    aSuffix = str(aVal)
    aVal = str(aVal)
  try:
    aSuffix = aSuffix.replace(" ","_")  #replace garbage in output files
    aSuffix = aSuffix.replace('"',"")
    aSuffix = aSuffix.replace("/","")
    aSuffix = aSuffix.replace("-","")
    outName = theFName + aSuffix + ".shp"
    outShapeFile = outFolder + "/" + outName
    outShapeFile = outShapeFile.replace("\\","/")
    #
    #Create a query and produce the file
    if (not aVal.isdigit()) or (inType == "String"):
      aVal = "'" + aVal + "'"
    whereClause = "%s = %s" % (inField, aVal)
    gp.MakeFeatureLayer(inFC, "TempLayer", whereClause)
    gp.CopyFeatures("TempLayer",outShapeFile)
    gp.AddMessage("Output and query: " + outShapeFile + "  " + whereClause)
  except:
    #gp.AddMessage("did not work")
    whereClause = "%s = %s" % (inField, aVal)
    gp.AddMessage("Output and query: " + outShapeFile + "  " + whereClause + " did not work ")
#
gp.Addmessage("\n  Processing complete" + "\n")
del gp

[LoganPugh]

Try: http://resources.arcgis.com/gallery/file/geoprocessing/details?entryID=37AEB018-1422-2418-A036-CA6D9...

[SamHuang]

Hi All!

I am having the same issue. The script does not run as it is constantly giving me the ARCGISHOME type error.

Does anyone have a solution to this ?


Thanks in advance!

[AnthonyMeyers]

It's a system variable in Windows.  I believe you can substitute "AGSDESKTOPJAVA" for "ARCGISHOME" since AGSDESKTOPJAVA is installed with ArcGIS 10.  I just changed the variable and it worked. 

Old line:

tbx_home = os.environ['ARCGISHOME'].replace("\\","/") + \

             "ArcToolbox/Toolboxes/"

New line:

tbx_home = os.environ['AGSDESKTOPJAVA'].replace("\\","/") + \

             "ArcToolbox/Toolboxes/"

[IanMurray]

Dan Patterson​, you got a new version anywhere?

[AnthonyMeyers]

Here's my version. Just ensure the Windows "AGSDESKTOPJAVA" environmental

variable is present and it points to the correct ArcGIS desktop folder.

Here's a screen shot:

Tony Meyers Jr.

Systems Development Manager

Planning and Urban Design Agency

City of St. Louis

314-657-3852

meyerstjr@stlouis-mo.gov

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Ian ... posted this as a test on what I think/thought is the beta site... let me know if it is OK... should be June 2015

[AnthonyMeyers]

Looks good. I'm not sure if the "AGSDESKTOPJAVA" variable is natively

installed with ArcGIS 10.X or is from another ESRI application. It's

present on my machine.

Tony Meyers Jr.

Systems Development Manager

Planning and Urban Design Agency

City of St. Louis

314-657-3852

meyerstjr@stlouis-mo.gov

[DanPatterson_Retired]

I got rid of the whole toolbox checking thing since you really don't need it for either Python or ArcMap if you let ArcGIS install install itself and Python since it creates its own python installation path etcetera so both can find one another and hence the toolboxes.  It just makes things cleaner.  ​Once downside is that you have to save your toolboxes in older versions if you want them to be backwards compatable.

[IanMurray]

Thanks for posting, saw you were the original author and figured you had a newer one. I didn't need a copy, but I figured this thread should link to a new version if it was available.  I'll probably go ahead an bookmark, never know when I might need it.