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I'm still fairly new to python and I'm not sure how that method works. I would say i know just enough to casue myself a lot of problems! 
Would you mind giving a quick explanation? If not i'll dive into the python help pages! I did get my code working though. I'll post it below if you want to see it.
import arcpy import glob import os #glob is used to use the wildcard option for anything under this file to allow for removal of all files files = glob.glob(r'C:\Users\JOC-001\Documents\GIS\HSIP\IL_Infrastructure2015\*') for f in files: os.remove(f) #Defines 'mxd' as the Map Document to be referenced mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r'C:\Users\JOC-001\Documents\GIS\HSIP\Infrastructure\HSIP_Gold_2015_Infrastructure.mxd') #Defines the layers to be used as everything under Layers dataframe in the table of contents for the mxd layers = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd) #Iterates over each layer in the list of 'layers' for lyr in layers: #checks to see if any file is a Group layer rather than a single layer if lyr.isGroupLayer: pass #Once layers pass the group layer check this initiates the geoprocessing. else: lyr2 = ''.join(ch for ch in str(lyr) if ch.isalnum()) print lyr2 arcpy.SelectLayerByLocation_management(lyr, "WITHIN_A_DISTANCE", r"C:\Users\JOC-001\Documents\ArcGIS\Default.gdb\Illinois", "50 Miles", "NEW_SELECTION") arcpy.FeatureClassToFeatureClass_conversion(lyr, r'C:\Users\JOC-001\Documents\GIS\HSIP\IL_Infrastructure2015', lyr2)
Hi Russel Klueg , I do have some considerations. Have a look at the TOC of a dummy document that I created:
It contains nested grouplayers, some featurelayers a raster layer, special characters.
If I run the following code:
#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
import re
import arcpy
fldr = r"C:\Forum"
mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"C:\Forum\ValidName\test.mxd")
df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd)[0]
for lyr in arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, '*', df):
if not lyr.isGroupLayer:
try:
print " - using str(lyr) : ", ''.join(ch for ch in str(lyr) if ch.isalnum())
except:
print "... produced an error"
print " - using lyr.name : ", ''.join(ch for ch in lyr.name if ch.isalnum())
print " - using re : ", re.sub('[^A-Za-z0-9]+', '', lyr.name)
print " - using validate TN: ", arcpy.ValidateTableName(lyr.name, fldr)It will output this:
- using str(lyr) : ... produced an error - using lyr.name : wielokąty - using re : wielokty - using validate TN: wielokąty - using str(lyr) : ... produced an error - using lyr.name : інфармацыя - using re : - using validate TN: інфармацыя - using str(lyr) : ... produced an error - using lyr.name : Coöperativerésumé - using re : Coperativersum - using validate TN: Coöperative_résumé - using str(lyr) : ContinentACountryEThisisaraster - using lyr.name : Thisisaraster - using re : Thisisaraster - using validate TN: This_is_a_raster - using str(lyr) : ContinentACountryEProvinceFLimits - using lyr.name : Limits - using re : Limits - using validate TN: Limits - using str(lyr) : ContinentACountryEProvinceFMinicipalityGConstructions - using lyr.name : Constructions - using re : Constructions - using validate TN: Constructions - using str(lyr) : ContinentACountryBProvinceCMinicipalityDConstructions - using lyr.name : Constructions - using re : Constructions - using validate TN: Constructions
What I want to explain with this (that only shows part of the problems one can encounter) is:
- using str(lyr) instead of lyr.name will include the name of the (nested) grouplayer(s) it resides in
- using str(lyr) will produce an error when you have special characters (diacritical marks)
- a name is valid although it contains special characters. The re expression though can result in eliminating all characters
- When you have a layer name that is used twice in your TOC, you will have to handle what should be done to create a unique file name
These are just some considerations. Maybe none of them apply for your specific case, you know your data and you are the only one to run the code, then this will not be a problem. However, when create a tool that others will run, then you should account for all these cases.
Kind regards, Xander
