find text element in MXD with wildcard?

[JaredPilbeam2]

I have a working script that searches for a text element in an MXD and replaces it with new text. I'm using it to update the "print date: mo./day/year". But, this method is sort of limited in that it only finds that exact string. In my map document folder, the dates of these maps differ from each other. So, how can I make the script replace an open-ended string? 

I've tried:

oldText = "Print Date: "‍‍

and

oldText = "Print Date: *"‍‍

As the script is here, "oldText = Print Date: 9.6.2016" will be replaced with "newText = Print Date: 11/13/2018". But, dates on other maps could be anything. If I could replace the old with dynamic text date that would be even better.

arcpy.env.workspace = Workspace = r"path\to\TestFolder"
Output = r"path\to\TestFolder2"
oldText = "Print Date: 9.6.2016"
oldList = oldText.split(', ')
newText = "Print Date: 11/13/2018"
newList = newText.split(', ')

# list the mxds of the workspace folder
for mxdname in arcpy.ListFiles("*.mxd"):
    print "checking document: {}".format(mxdname)
# set the variable
    mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(Workspace + "\\" + mxdname)
# replace elements that occur in the map document
    for elm in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd, "TEXT_ELEMENT"):
        counter = 0
        for text in oldList:
            if text in elm.text:
                elm.text = elm.text.replace(text, newList[counter])
                print '{} changed'.format(elm.text)
                counter = counter + 1
            else:
                counter = counter + 1

    for elm in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd, ""):
        counter = 0
        for text in oldList:
            if text in mxd.title:
                mxd.title = elm.text.replace(text, newList[counter])
                counter = counter + 1
            else:
                counter = counter + 1
# move the mxd.saveACopy outside of the if loop so a copy is saved even it does not meet the condition of the if loops
    mxd.save() #(os.path.join(Output + "\\" + mxdname))
# do not include this delete statement inside the above loop or it will delete the mxd object inside the loop. Make sure to dedent.
del mxd‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

[DanPatterson_Retired]

perhaps, it could be handled in a similar fashion

oldText = "Print Date: 9.6.2016"

newdate = "12.12.2018"

if "Print Date" in oldText:
    new_fixed = "{}: {}".format(oldText.split(":")[0], newdate)
    

new_fixed

'Print Date: 12.12.2018'‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

[JaredPilbeam2]

Dan,

I like that approach. The thing is, "oldText" could be "Print Date:", "Plot Date:", "Plot date", etc... I wasn't the originator of the maps. I've only been updating them.

So, with that, could I create a list with all these possibilities? I'm basically wondering how to formulate that.

[RandyBurton]

Using Dan's example, try the comparison with just "DATE" and use .upper():

if "DATE" in oldText.upper():
    new_fixed = "{}: {}".format(oldText.split(":")[0], newdate)‍‍‍

[RandyBurton]

I place a "revision" at the bottom of my maps using dynamic text.  The format is easy to figure out:

Rev: <dyn type="date" format="yyMMdd"/><dyn type="time" format="HHmm"/>‍‍‍‍‍‍

Working with dynamic text

Another method I like to use is naming the  text boxes when you create them.  This helps in finding a specific one and makes it easy to replace text.  Set the 'Element Name' on 'Size and Position' tab in Desktop version.

for elm in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd,"TEXT_ELEMENT"):
    if elm.name == "PrintDate": # text element named 'PrintDate'
        elm.text = "Print date: {}".format(someDate)
        # elm.text = "Print date: <dyn type=\"date\" format=\"\"/>"‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

[JaredPilbeam2]

Randy,

Are you aware of a way to name the text boxes with Arcpy? That's a good idea. Sad thing is I'd have to retroactively do that at this point.

[RandyBurton]

You could process all your MXDs in a directory using os.walk or similar.  If you only wanted to rename textboxes with the word "Date" in the text, you could use something like:

import arcpy, glob, os

path = r"C:\Directory\to\search"

os.chdir(path)
for file in glob.glob("*.mxd"):
    print "Processing: {}".format(file)

    mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(file)
    
    for elm in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd,"TEXT_ELEMENT"):
        if "DATE" in elm.text.upper():
            elm.name = 'DateBox'
        print elm.text, elm.name

    mxd.save() # or mxd.saveACopy('newname')
    del mxd‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

This assumes that only one box will contain the word "Date". To take this further, you could check for other text and name the box accordingly (if a dictionary key is found in the text, set the name to the paired value, for example).

[XanderBakker]

I always name the element for easy access using arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElement...

[JaredPilbeam2]

Randy,

Thanks for that. I tried your script verbatim (besides the path variable) and for some reason it won't save (nothing's open, tried saveACopy('test'), unindented, quit python, restarted, etc...). But, as far as the printout goes, it doesn't look like it changed the date because it's showing the same old date.

Using yours and Dan's help from before, I put together this script:

import arcpy, os
from arcpy import env

arcpy.env.workspace = ws = r"\\gisfile\GISmaps\AtlasMaps\ATLAS_MAPS_18\Test Folder"
oldText = "Print Date:9.23.2016"
newdate = "Print date: <dyn type=\"date\" format=\"\"/>" #i want the date text dynamic

# list the mxds of the workspace folder
for mxdname in arcpy.ListFiles("*.mxd"):
    print "checking document: {}".format(mxdname)

    mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(ws + "\\" + mxdname)
    for elm in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd, "TEXT_ELEMENT"):
        if "Print Date" in oldText.upper():
            new_fixed = "{}: {}".format(oldText.split(":")[0], newdate)
            print "+++date changed+++"

mxd.save()
del mxd
‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

However, it doesn't print the second statement or change the text in the MXD. I'm guessing it might have to do with the contents of the text box? This is the actual text box I've been testing on with all it's contents as it is in the MXD. As I said before this "Print Date..." line will have different content in different MXDs; where I'm eventually headed. Also, I've never named any elements in any of the maps. So, I don't see how I'd use this to access the text.

[RandyBurton]

I just took a quick look at your code.  You need to make at least one change.  For the comparison, it can help to convert case, so that it does not prevent a match.  You can either convert your oldText to upper case for comparison, or remove the .upper() and do a case sensitive match:

# change:
       if "Print Date" in oldText.upper():

# to:
       if "PRINT DATE" in oldText.upper():

# or:
       if "Print Date" in oldText:‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍