[GIS] Deleting multiple feature classes simultaneously

arcgis-10.0arcgis-desktopfeature-datasetfeatures

I created a number of feature datasets to temporarily store the output of some ModelBuilder models. Each dataset contains several thousand feature classes, and the idea was that I could just delete the feature dataset when I was finished with the ModelBuilder output, instead of deleting each feature class individually (which would take forever!).

However, I've been using the Delete (Data Management) tool to delete the feature datasets, and have found that all the feature classes within the dataset, rather than being deleted, are just turning up in the folder the feature dataset was stored in. I assumed that deleting the dataset would remove all that dataset's content also, but this doesn't appear to be the case. I Have tried to delete the feature classes using Windows Explorer (where I could highlight them all simultaneously and then press delete) but they don't show up.

So, could someone please tell me if there is a way to delete multiple feature classes (or all content within a feature dataset) in one go? Either in ArcGIS (using v10) or through Windows Explorer?

Best Answer

Perhaps you can save your temporary featureclasses into the "in_memory" workspace.

ArcGIS & Modelbuilder will automatically clean up your temporary datasets once the process is complete. Also, you will likely see a dramatic improvement in processing speed with your models. Working with data in memory is tremendously faster than writing to disk.

More specifically from help: "When using the in-memory workspace, any intermediate data should be deleted as soon as possible to free up those system memory resources. The Delete tool can be used to delete data in the in-memory workspace. Individual tables or feature classes can be deleted, or the entire workspace can be deleted to clear all the workspace contents."

Related Solutions

ArcGIS Desktop – Saving Custom Labeling Templates for Other Feature Classes

You could just save the layer file then create a UI button (or an Add-on in v.10) and use the following code to import the labels:

    Dim pGxFile As IGxFile
    Dim pGFLayer As IGeoFeatureLayer
    Dim pGxLayer As IGxLayer
    Dim pGxDialog As IGxDialog
    Dim pGxObjFilter As IGxObjectFilter
    Dim pEnumGxObj As IEnumGxObject
    Dim pAnnoLayerPropsColl As IAnnotateLayerPropertiesCollection
    Dim pGxObj As IGxObject
    Dim pMxDoc As IMxDocument

    Set pMxDoc = ThisDocument
    If pMxDoc.SelectedLayer Is Nothing Then
        MsgBox "Select feature class to label with .lyr file label classes"
        Exit Sub
    End If

    Set pGxDialog = New GxDialog
    Set pGxObjFilter = New GxFilterLayers
    Set pGxDialog.ObjectFilter = pGxObjFilter
    pGxDialog.Title = "Select Layer(.lyr) file to import labels definitions from"
    pGxDialog.ButtonCaption = "Apply Labels"

    If pGxDialog.DoModalOpen(0, pEnumGxObj) Then
        Set pGxObj = pEnumGxObj.Next
        Set pGxLayer = pGxObj
    Else
        Exit Sub
    End If

    Set pGFLayer = pGxLayer.Layer
    Set pAnnoLayerPropsColl = pGFLayer.AnnotationProperties

   'Apply label classes  to selected layer in arcmap

    Set pGFLayer = pMxDoc.SelectedLayer
    pGFLayer.AnnotationProperties = pAnnoLayerPropsColl
'    pGFLayer.DisplayAnnotation = True
'    pMxDoc.ActiveView.Refresh
    pMxDoc.CurrentContentsView.Refresh pGFLayer

    MsgBox "Labels imported successfully." & Chr(13) & "To view labels, check 'Label Features'."

[GIS] Deleting records from multiple, similar feature classes by attribute values using SQL statement in ArcGIS Desktop

One way to automate the processing of this would be with Python by working through a list of the feature classes, and the using an updatecursor/deleteRow statement to delete the unneeded records.

import arcpy

workspace = r"c:\yourworkspace\yourgeodatabase.gdb"  #assuming file geodatabase
arcpy.env.workspace = workspace

#Part 1 -- create list of feature classes in your geodatabase...
#assuming all featureclasses within the geodatabase are of interest for the query -- otherwise specify a wildcard below

featureclasslist = arcpy.ListFeatureClasses()

#now run a loop on feature classes in the list
for featureclass in featureclasslist:


 #Part 2 -- deleting the records specified in your sql query. There are two approaches:

 # option1:
    your_query = " \"yourfield\" = 'your_value' "  #enter your sql query here

    rows = arcpy.UpdateCursor(featureclass, your_query)
    for row in rows:
        rows.deleteRow(row)

    # or option 2

    rows = arcpy.UpdateCursor(featureclass)
    for row in rows:
        if row.getValue("Yourfield") == 'your_value':
            rows.deleteRow(row)

More here on listing featureclasses: http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//000v0000001n000000

and on the updatecursor/deleteRow statement: http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//002z0000001q000000

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