File Validation using ArcPy?

Question

I have a script which scans a directory and outputs basic raster data information such as the file name, format, number of bands, and etc. I need a way to make it so if the directory does not contain raster data (i.e., anything other than raster data), a message is displayed stating that the directory doesn't have the correct data type.

I know ArcPy has a Describe() function that I could use to determine the type of data in a folder, but am not sure how to implement it. This is what I have so far:

rasterList = arcpy.ListRasters("*", "ALL")
filesType = arcpy.DataType('RasterDataset') # Can use `DatasetType` as well. 
 # I've tested this function to describe
 # raster data and ArcPy prints out
 # 'RasterDataset', that is why I have it 
 # there in the brackets.
for name in rasterList:
 if rasterList == filesType:
 print ("\nFilename:"), name
 else:
 print ("This directory does not contain any raster data.")

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

How about something simple like:

if len(rasterList) == 0:
 print ("This directory does not contain any raster data.")
else:
 # Your raster processing code

The len() function calculates the length of the returned string/list, so if it returns 0 then you know nothing in the folder matched the criterion (in this case, being a raster). This way, if the folder contains any rasters (even if not every file is a raster) they will be processed.

• kaoscify: Thanks nmpeterson! That was it. I knew I was missing something simple. Can't believe I didn't think of the len() function.