SearchCursor do not loop after select layer with empty result

[Anonymous User]

I have noticed that after select layer by location/attribute with empty result (example, i tried select layer with attribute, which that do not have), SearchCursor do not see rows in layer table. I tried SearchCursor layer write with dataSource, it's work on *.gdb whom i have physical access, but for *.sde whom i do not have physical access it's do not work ('Cannot open file' error). If i can select all layers features, than SearchCursor will see rows. I know about arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute, but it is slow. I work with setSelectionSet and after clear selection with setSelectionSet('new', []) is same problem. How me revive layer after select with empty result?

Please, help me and sorry for my English!

[DuncanHornby]

You need to share your code if you want people to help. Make sure it's formatted correctly

[Anonymous User]

after clear selection

arcpy.mapping.Layer('TreesA').setSelectionSet('new', [])

SearchCursor do not loop rows (result is emty)

with arcpy.da.SearchCursor('TreesA', ['OBJECTID']) as rs:
...     for r in rs:
...         print r[0]

I know about

arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management('TreesA', 'clear_selection')

 but this is slow

when i write

with arcpy.da.SearchCursor(arcpy.mapping.Layer('TreesA').dataSource, ['OBJECTID']) as rs:
...     for r in rs:
...         print r[0]

SearchCursor see rows (print all OBJECTID)

but when use on *.sde, whom i do not have access

i get:

Runtime error
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
RuntimeError: cannot open 'K:\INSTRUKCIJAS\!SDE\backup_connections\PRODSQL_TOPO10_3421-25.sde\PRODSQL_TOPO10.DBO.TOPO10_3\PRODSQL_TOPO10.DBO.TreesA'

[BlakeTerhune]

If the ObjectID field is what you're getting, try using the OID@ field name token instead.

[Anonymous User]

Yes, i try get features OID list (field name OBJECTID).

Sorry, i am not understood, can you write example!

[BlakeTerhune]

with arcpy.da.SearchCursor(arcpy.mapping.Layer('TreesA').dataSource, ['OID@']) as rs:

[Anonymous User]

Sorry, nothing changes!😔

[Anonymous User]

You can try

arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management('layer', 'new_selection', 'select by attributes who do not exist in layer')

after this arcpy tools (Search\UpdateCursor, GetCount, SelectLayerByAttributes(with subset_selection method) or SelectLayerByLocation....) do not see rows

[JoshuaBixby · Accepted solution]

---

@Anonymous User wrote:

after this arcpy tools (Search\UpdateCursor, GetCount, SelectLayerByAttributes(with subset_selection method) or SelectLayerByLocation....) do not see rows

---

This is expected behavior so I am not exactly sure what you are trying to get at with this comment.  Most, if not all, geoprocessing tools honor selection sets on layers and table views.  If you have a selection set with no records, there is nothing for the tools to operate on.

[JoshuaBixby]

Layer.setSelectionSet has some odd behaviors and Esri's documentation is wrong.  Passing an empty list with "New" doesn't clear the selection but creates a new selection with no records, hence why the search cursor is not working.  You need to pass an empty set with "New" to have it clear the selection.