trouble deleting data in an fgdb using python

Question

I am trying to use delete_management to delete files in a gdb based on whether or not they are in a list. I keep getting an error with the delete_management tool that says the file either does not exist or is not valid. I can't figure out what the problem is?

import arcpy, os, easygui, sys
mxd_path = easygui.enterbox("Enter directory where mxds are located:",title='Search for Data Sources')
lyr_lst = []
lyr_lst_files = []
fl_nm_lst = []
FCList = []
RList =[]
#out_loc = easygui.enterbox("Enter ouput directory for copying files:")
out_loc = r'C:\GIS\Assimilate_Mxd_Data\Assimilate_Mxd_Data_TESTING\Output Data\test_output.gdb'
#set mxd and output geodatabase directory paths, exit if not specified
if mxd_path == None or mxd_path == '':
 sys.exit()
if out_loc == None or out_loc == '':
 sys.exit()
#generate a list of feature classes and a list of rasters already exist in
#output geodatabase
for gdb, fd, fc in arcpy.da.Walk(out_loc,datatype='FeatureClass'):
 for f in fc:
 FCList.append(f)
for gdb, fd, rasters in arcpy.da.Walk(out_loc,datatype='RasterDataset'):
 for rstr in rasters:
 RList.append(rstr)
#walk through mxds in mxd path and generate unique list of layers sourced in all
#mxd documents
for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(mxd_path):
 for filename in filenames:
 fullPath = os.path.join(dirpath, filename)
 basename, extension = os.path.splitext(filename)
 if extension == ".mxd":
 mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(fullPath)
 LyrList = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd)
 for item in LyrList:
 if item.supports("DATASOURCE"):
 lyr_lst.append(item.dataSource)
lyr_lst_unique = list(set(lyr_lst))
#retrieve file names without extension from unique mxd layers lists, to compare
#with contents of output gdb
for lyr in lyr_lst_unique:
 path, file = os.path.split(lyr)
 fl_nm = os.path.splitext(file)[0]
 fl_nm_lst.append(fl_nm)
#compare file names in lyr_list_unique to lists of feature classes and rasters that
#already exist in output gdb. If file names are not in FCList and RList, meaning
#they do not already exist in the gdb, copy files to output gfb
 if fl_nm not in FCList and fl_nm not in RList:
 try:
 arcpy.FeatureClassToGeodatabase_conversion(lyr,out_loc)
 except:
 print 'Input file ' + lyr + ' is not a feature class'
 try:
 arcpy.RasterToGeodatabase_conversion(lyr,out_loc)
 except:
 print 'Input file ' + lyr + ' is not a feature class or a raster'
#compare file names in fl_nm_list to lists of feature classes and rasters that
#already exist in output gdb. If files exist in gdb that are not found in mxd
#unique layers list, delete
 for gdb, fd, fc in arcpy.da.Walk(out_loc):
 for f in fc:
 if f not in fl_nm_lst:
 arcpy.Delete_management(f)

• Paul: Have you tried using os.path.join() on f and printing the value? You can also use arcpy.Exists() to see if the arcpy will recognize the path as existing or not.
• kflaw: I did print the f values and they were as I expected.. I dont think the delete tool takes a path as input, but a layer
• RyanKDalton: Not an answer to your question, but you may find it easier to use easygui.diropenbox to return the name of a directory and eliminate user mis-spellings.
• RyanKDalton: If you look at the online help for Delete_management, it shows it does take "data element" as an option. What do you get if you print out "f" right before your last line? Might the featureclass be in a Feature Dataset?
• kflaw: i guess i am getting a string list element

Answer 1

f variable only contains the name of the featureclass.

You could set the environment workspace variable

arcpy.env.workspace = out_loc # "C:/data/base.gdb"

Or you could join the path as the ESRI help suggest:

Names in the lists include only the base name; no path components are included. To get a full path (which begins with top) to a file or directory in dirpath, do os.path.join(dirpath, name).

In your case replace the last line with:

arcpy.Delete_management(os.path.join(gdb, fc))

Please note that I'm sure about witch is better if you have featureclass in dataset.