Python script with forward slash in list causing errors?

Question

Here is my script:

import arcpy
# set environment, workspace, and output location
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = 1
arcpy.env.workspace = r"Database Connections\Transportation.sde"
output_loc = r"C:\Users\johndiaz\Documents\Outerspatial_Shapefiles"
agency_list = ['CASP', 'CIC', 'MRCA/SMMC', 'LACODPR', 'NPS', 'PCTA']
# assign variables to layers
th_fc = r"Database Connections\Transportation.sde\eGIS_Transportation.EGIS.DPR_TRAILHEADS"
poi_fc = r"Database Connections\Transportation.sde\eGIS_Transportation.EGIS.DPR_TRAILS_POI"
trails_fc = r"Database Connections\Transportation.sde\eGIS_Transportation.EGIS.DPR_TRAILS"
# shapefiles for trailheads and poi
for list in agency_list:
 print "generating trailhead and poi shapefiles"
 where_clause = "agency = '" + list + "'"
 arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management (th_fc, "th_lyr")
 arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management ("th_lyr", "NEW_SELECTION", where_clause)
 output_th = "\\" + list + "_TRAILHEADS.shp"
 arcpy.FeatureClassToFeatureClass_conversion ("th_lyr", output_loc, output_th)
 arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management (poi_fc, "poi_lyr")
 arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management ("poi_lyr", "NEW_SELECTION", where_clause)
 output_poi = "\\" + list + "_POI.shp"
 arcpy.FeatureClassToFeatureClass_conversion ("poi_lyr", output_loc, output_poi)
 print "trailhead and poi shapefiles complete"
for list2 in agency_list:
 print "generating trails shapefiles"
 where_clause = "trail_type = 'Existing' AND agency = '" + list2 + "'"
 arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management (trails_fc, "trails_lyr")
 arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management ("trails_lyr", "NEW_SELECTION", where_clause)
 output_trails = "\\" + list + "_TRAILS.shp"
 arcpy.FeatureClassToFeatureClass_conversion ("trails_lyr", output_loc, output_trails)
 print "trails shapefiles complete"
print "SCRIPT COMPLETE"

If i remove the list item 'MRCA/SMMC' the script runs fine. Otherwise, I get this error:

Message File Name Line Position 
Traceback 
 <module> C:\Users\johndiaz\Documents\trails_app_create_shapefiles.py 36 
 FeatureClassToFeatureClass c:\program files (x86)\arcgis\desktop10.5\ArcPy\arcpy\conversion.py 1891 
ExecuteError: ERROR 000210: Cannot create output C:\Users\johndiaz\Documents\Outerspatial_Shapefiles\\MRCA/SMMC_TRAILHEADS.shp
Failed to execute (FeatureClassToFeatureClass).

Any advice?

• PolyGeo: When questions are placed on hold awaiting more information from you like at gis.stackexchange.com/q/301519/115 please always edit the original question rather than re-asking the same question.

Answer 1

You cannot name a shapefile with a forward slash. You will need to add some code to check the list element, then replace the forward slash. Something like...

x = "foo/bar"
if "/" in x:
 x = x.replace("/", "_")
print x
foo_bar

Answer 2

You are trying to create a file with a forward-slash in the filename on a drive formatted with (presumably) the NTFS filesystem. That is not allowed by NTFS (or most other filesystems), slashes are forbidden characters, so you get an error. If you try creating a new text file on your machine and renaming it to "MRCA/SMMC_TRAILHEADS.shp", you'll get a similar error. Format the filename to eliminate any forbidden characters and it will work.

• John Diaz: Thanks Dan! This is the problem! I will rework my script to the file name meets the file naming standards for NTFS. This has had me stumped for some time.