Metadata and python

[krank42]

Hello,

I'm trying to find a nice way to write the metadata in a feature class, when I create it with a python script from a text file.

Is this possible?

Thanks a lot

Karsten

[mzcoyle]

You can take a look at the Metadata Toolset to get some ideas.

[kimo]

I found that I could edit a template XML file fairly easily, rather than creating the whole file.

# DOCLoadMetadata.py
# with altered dates for current month
# using element tree
# create original Metadata with same name as layer
# run this to alter to name_et.xml
# reload into filegeodatabase
# Note there is no tool to unload metadata
# 15 March 2010
# 2.6 upgrade for element tree 12 Nov 2011
# alter fc names 10 March 2012

import arcgisscripting,sys,os
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
import sys,os,datetime
print
print

def alter(xmlfile,edDate,publishDate,createDate) :
    """
    read xml file for featureclass or table
    change dates to today,loading date and LINZ extract date
    empty processing logs
    write out file with _et suffix
    return file name
    """
    # print xmlfile
    tree = ET.parse(xmlfile)
    ## print tree.getroot().tag, tree.getroot().text,tree.getroot().tail,tree.getroot().attrib

    # Edition Date
    elem = list(tree.getiterator("resEdDate"))[0] 
    # print elem.tag,elem.text
    elem.text = edDate
    ## print elem.text

    # Reference Date 001 (Creation)
    elem = list(tree.getiterator("refDate"))[0] 
    # print elem.tag,elem.text
    elem.text = createDate
    ## print elem.text
    # note there may be two of these dates
    # DateTypCd 001 and 002
    # Reference Date 002 (Publication)
    if len(list(tree.getiterator("refDate"))) > 1 :
        elem = list(tree.getiterator("refDate"))[1]
        # print elem.tag,elem.text
        elem.text = publishDate
    else :
        # print "Skipping publication date",xmlfile
        pass
    ## print elem.text
    # clear out lineag if it exists
    try :
        lin = list(tree.getiterator("lineage"))[0]
        # print lin.tag
        lin.clear()
        lin.text = "Cleared"
    except :
        gp.AddMessage("Skipping clear lineage")
    outfile = xmlfile.replace(".","_et.")
    tree.write(outfile)
    return outfile

# ---------------------- main ----------------------

try :
    publishDate = sys.argv[1]
    createDate  = sys.argv[2]
    if createDate == '#' :
        createDate = publishDate
    gp.AddMessage(publishDate+type(publishDate))
except :
    # 12 = 5 (sat) + 7 to keep positive in modulo 7
    tday = datetime.datetime.now()
    div,offset = divmod((12 - tday.replace(day=1).weekday()),7)
    firstSat = tday.replace(day=1) + datetime.timedelta(days=offset)
    publishDate = firstSat.strftime("%Y%m%d")
    createDate  = publishDate
    print publishDate,firstSat.ctime()
print
# override
# publishDate = '20100804'
# createDate = '20100710'

gp = arcgisscripting.create(9.3)

os.chdir("e:/crs/customer/conservation/metadata")
edDate = str(datetime.datetime.now().date()).replace("-","")
edDate = publishDate # '20100914'
gp.AddMessage(edDate+" edit date")
gp.AddMessage(publishDate+" publish date")
gp.AddMessage(createDate+" create date")

ws = "e:/crs/customer/conservation/corax.gdb"
metasrc = "e:/crs/customer/conservation/metadata"
gp.Workspace = ws

os.chdir(metasrc)
print
print ws
print metasrc
print



lstFC = gp.ListFeatureClasses("*")

for fc in lstFC :
    # print fc
    fcxml = metasrc+"/"+fc+".xml"
    if os.path.exists(fcxml) :
        etxml = alter(fcxml,edDate,publishDate,createDate) 
        gp.MetadataImporter_conversion(etxml,fc)
        print fc,"updated"
        gp.AddMessage(fc+" updated")
    else :
        print fcxml,"not found"
        gp.AddError(fcxml+" not found")
        
lstTab = gp.ListTables("*")
for tab in lstTab :
    # print tab
    tabxml = metasrc+"/"+tab+".xml"
    if os.path.exists(tabxml) :
        etxml = alter(tabxml,edDate,publishDate,createDate) 
        gp.MetadataImporter_conversion(etxml,tab)
        print tab,"updated"
        gp.AddMessage(tab+" updated")
    else :
        print tabxml,"not found"
        gp.AddError(tabxml+" not found")
# geodatabase metadata
etxml = alter(metasrc+"/corax.xml",edDate,publishDate,createDate)

Note that at 10.x there is now a tool to unload metadata and better tools to import other formats.
But this still works.

[krank42]

Thanks a lot for your answer! This is what I searched!

Karsten