[GIS] Updating attribute table from an Excel file using Python

arcgis-desktopattribute-tableexcelpython

I am kinda new to Python, please excuse for such a trivial questions. There is a shapefile (let's call it Materials.shp). I have an attribute table with different fields (for example, windows, doors, etc..). The script I am trying to write needs to update the values for those fields. The new values for those fields I get are from an Excel file. Is it possible to do that? What is the easiest way for the script to update the values of these cells? I am using ArcGIS for Desktop.

Best Answer

There are several ways to read the Excel file with Python. It depends on the version of the excel file. I used xlrd in the past and it was really simple.

In this page: http://www.python-excel.org/ There's a list of modules that you can try to read the data in the spreadsheet. Documentation for each one is included there. You might find this useful at least for that part of your task.

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Python/ArcPy – Editing Attribute Tables

This should do it and is a little simpler than the examples in the online help for UpdateCursor which is nevertheless worth a read.

I've assumed your shapefile is in a folder called C:\temp and that structuretype is an integer field. If it is a text field just use "3" and "4" instead of 3 and 4.

import arcpy

features = arcpy.UpdateCursor(r"C:\temp\Structures.shp")
for feature in features:
    if feature.structuretype == 3:
        feature.structuretype = 4
        features.updateRow(feature)
del feature,features

Warning: The way I am referencing field values here only works for old style cursors and not for the superior and faster cursors in the Data Access (arcpy.da) module, which was introduced with ArcGIS 10.1.

[GIS] How to call arcpy.RefreshActiveView() every 5 seconds using ArcGIS Python

Threading doesn't work with most UI manipulation in Windows as UI elements have thread affinity, which is probably why the map view is failing to refresh.

I've got a Python project that does this in ArcGIS without threading on Github. It uses the Win32 event loop in the main thread to do timed calls in an add-in extension. You can also use it independently of add-ins by using the tickextension.call_layer.CallQueue class:

import tickextension.call_later

class Refresher(tickextension.call_later.CallQueue):
    def __init__(self):
        super(Refresher, self).__init__()
        self.call_later(self.refresh_view, 5.0)
    def refresh_view(self):
        arcpy.RefreshActiveView()
        # Tell self to be called later again
        self.call_later(self.refresh_view, 5.0)

refresh_object = Refresher()

# Do some work
...
# turn off timer
refresh_object.active = False

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Python/ArcPy – Editing Attribute Tables

[GIS] How to call arcpy.RefreshActiveView() every 5 seconds using ArcGIS Python

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