Why is c:\Temp1 not a folder?

[JohannesBierer]

Defined a Parameter as data type folder and put in c:\Temp1 which results in this error message?

File "R:\Karto\zGIS\Projekte\MaP_FFH_Richtlinie_Toolentwicklung\python\FangenSymDiff.py", line 50, in <module>

    arcpy.FeatureClassToShapefile_conversion(Aenderung_MToS, Aenderung_MToS_CopyFeatures)

  File "c:\program files (x86)\arcgis\desktop10.1\arcpy\arcpy\conversion.py", line 2550, in FeatureClassToShapefile

    raise e

ExecuteError: Fehler bei Ausführung. Parameter sind ungültig.

ERROR 000840: Der Wert ist kein(e) Ordner.

Fehler beim Ausführen von (FeatureClassToShapefile).

[DanPatterson_Retired]

"c:\temp1"

must be written in raw format

r"c:\temp1"

with double backslashes

"c:\\temp1"

or with forward slashes

"c:/temp1"

of course this assumes you have a folder of this name in the first place

[JohannesBierer]

Hi Dan,

the script is used in the toolbox Folder as Parameter (Folder Data Type) - so the input there sould be right?

[DanPatterson_Retired · Accepted solution]

I never assume and always convert path selections

aPath = aPath.replace("\\",:/")

when I select aPath from a tool within Arctoolbox...just incorporate within your script

[JohannesBierer]

ok, why .replace("\\",:/")?

Isn't it old, new?

[DanPatterson_Retired]

in python the backslash is used as a literal...meaning if you want a backslash you have to preceed the backslash you want with another one (check python documentation), so the expression I gave you means "replace the backslash with a forward slash"

[curtvprice]

It is disconcerting because if there is no corresponding escape sequence, the string is passed along unmodified. The escape sequences are case sensitive, just to add to the confusion.

>>> print "C:\TEMP  C:\temp"

C:\TEMP  C:    emp

Here's the help page I always refer people to:

ArcGIS Help 10.2 - Paths explained: Absolute, relative, UNC, and URL‌

[curtvprice]

Dan, did you mean:

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

[AdamCox1]

Personally, I always use one of the following methods and don't have any trouble anymore

1. put an r in front of the path and it will be interpreted literally.

path = r"C:\Temp1"

2. os.path.join() is great also, especially for constructing dynamic paths because you can pass variables as arguments.  Also good if cross platform considerations are an issue

path = os.path.join("C:","Temp1")

3. also good for dynamic paths, because you can through variables in for the directory names:

path = r"{0}\{1}".format("C:","Temp1")

4. finally, it's not very concise, but you can always use os.sep

path = "C:" +os.sep+"Temp1"

Hope this is helpful!

[JohannesBierer]

Very helpful, thanks.

To tell you the truth, there was no path problem, I used two times one input parameter 🙂