How do you loop through a list of files, getting the filenames, and then adding the names to a standalone table?

[RPGIS]

Hi,

i am relatively new to python but I am trying to work on a script that works in conjunction with modelbuilder and so far things were working up to a point. The issue that I am having is I am trying to loop through a list of files, get the filenames, and update a table with the names from the files. Here is the script that I have currently:

import arcpy
import os

#Set Parameters
inFiles = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
inTable = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(1)
inField = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(2)
outTable = arcpy.SetParameterAsText(3)

#Iterate through files in folder, insert rows based on file names, and make table view layer
with arcpy.da.InsertCursor(inTable, inField) as cursor:
    #List Files
    flist = arcpy.List(inFiles)

    for f in flist:
        
        #Make table view
        arcpy.MakeTableView_management(inTable)
        
        #Get filename(s)
        f = os.path.basename(flist).rstrip(os.path.splitext(flist)[1])
        
        #Insert values and rows in table
        cursor.insertRow([f])

del cursor

#Add Message
arcpy.AddMessage("This row {0} was added.".format(f))‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

[JohannesBierer]

Could you use code formatting?

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

[RPGIS]

I never used the code formatting before so it's new to me.

[JohannesBierer]

Does arcpy.List () exists? I would start with this:

Erstellen von Datenlisten—ArcPy Get Started | ArcGIS Desktop 

[RPGIS]

Thanks Johannes. I did manage to get the script working, however, I get an empty output when I run the tool and so I am not sure what I am doing wrong exactly.

[JohannesBierer]

What if you put in a

arcpy.AddMessage(f)
after line 20, does it throws something out?

I think your code needs to be "rebuilt", it's easier to do this with hard coded "parameters" rather than
arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)

[JoshuaBixby]

A few questions:

1. What does arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0) look like?
   1. A comma- or semicolon-delimited string?
   2. Is the list using full paths?
2. You have an outTable parameter but aren't using it anywhere?  Why are you including it?
3. As Johannes Bierer‌ mentioned already, what is arcpy.List?

[JamesCrandall]

Looks like you just need to update the list of files to remove the path, leaving a file name then just append to a new list to use in the InsertCursor.  Also, MakeTableView_management is expecting another parameter (you only provided a single "inTable" and it needs the output name of the table view you want to create.

inFiles = ['H:\\file1.txt','H:\\file2.txt','H:\\file3.txt']
inTable = r'\\computer1\home$\user\Docs\ArcGIS\Default.gdb\tabSourceIn'
inField = ['filenames']

rowvalues = []

for file in inFiles:
    rowvalues.append(os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(file))[0])

cursor = arcpy.da.InsertCursor(inTable, ['filenames'])
for row in rowvalues:
    cursor.insertRow([row])

del cursor

arcpy.MakeTableView_management(inTable, 'outputTableView')‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

[RPGIS]

Thanks James,

I was trying to make sense of the parse path script and loop. I am vaguely familiar with loops but the parse path script form the esri documentation wasn't making much sense to me. The reason I was trying to utilize the Make Table View script is because when I ran the script in process within a model, I would receive an error stating the item cannot be opened or it does not exist. I think this link that I was utilizing might have been adding my confusion but I could be wrong. 

Parse Path—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop 

I am trying to get a better understanding on how python works in terms of context and flow. I have several scripts that I have created that work the way I intended, but when I start to get into developing more complicated script, I start to get a bit confused.

Huge thanks for your help James

-Robert.

[RPGIS]

Hey James,

So I tested your script and it works but it populates the table with 20+ records, and so I am wondering if there is a way for me to have the table records update based on the number of files added. So if I add 3 files, then the tool adds 3 records to the table with the file names. I am really close to getting where I want to be and so I am working on this little tiny detail.

Thanks,

Robert