DEVELOPMENT HAS MOVED

Future development of this library will now be at https://github.com/Office-of-Digital-Services/arcpy_metadata, where the library is being maintained.

This repository will be wound down in the future.

Arcpy Metadata Editor (arcpy_metadata)

Whether you create it or not, metadata is a critical part of GIS analysis. ArcGIS includes a built-in GUI metadata editor, but has scant access to metadata properties from Python. The arcpy_metadata package provides this access, allowing large Python packages that generate their own geospatial outputs in ArcGIS to properly document the data.

Getting arcpy_metadata

arcpy_metadata is pure Python and its only dependency is arcpy (installed with ArcGIS). It's available on the Python Package Index so you can get arcpy_metadata via pip (pip install arcpy_metadata).

If you don't have or don't know how to use pip, you can install arcpy_metadata by cloning/downloading this repository and running setup.py install in the root folder

Using arcpy_metadata

Creating the Metadata Editor

Edit existing metadata for Shapefiles, Rasters, FeatureClasses, RasterDatasets, MosaicDatasets or Layers

import arcpy_metadata as md
metadata = md.MetadataEditor(path_to_some_feature_class)  # currently supports Shapefiles, FeatureClasses, RasterDatasets and Layers

Edit or create an XML file directly

import arcpy_metadata as md
metadata = md.MetadataEditor(metadata_file="path/to/metadata_file.xml")  # currently supports Shapefiles, FeatureClasses, RasterDatasets and Layers

Choose your log level

metadata = md.MetadataEditor(path_to_some_feature_class, loglevel="DEBUG")  # use any of CRITICAL, ERROR, WARNING, INFO, DEBUG, NOTSET, dafault is INFO

Get text items (returns string)

title = metadata.title
abstract = metadata.abstract

Change text items

metadata.title = "The new title"
metadata.abstract = "This is the abstract"

Get list items (returns list)

tags = metadata.tags
for tag in tags:
    print tag

Change list items

metadata.tags = ["tag1", "tag2"]
metadata.tags[1] = "another tag"
metadata.tags.append("new tag")
metadata.tags.insert(0, "first tag")
metadata.tags.remove("tag1")
metadata.tags.pop()

Get numeric items (return int or float)

min_scale = metadata.min_scale
max_scale = metadata.max_scale

Change numeric items

metadata.min_scale = 500000
metadata.max_scale = 500

Get date items (returns date object)

last_update = metadata.last_update
last_update_year = metadata.last_update.year

Change date items (excepts datetime objects and formated string (yyyymmdd, yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss)

from datetime import date
today = date.today()
metadata.last_update = today
metadata.last_update = "20160221"

Add and edit field definitions

metadata.fields.new()  # add the new field
metadata.fields[-1].name = "MyFieldName" # the item at index -1 will be the new one
metadata.fields[-1].definition = "Here I am describing how the field was created and how to use and interpret its values for a reader"

# or find an existing field and update its definition
search_for_field = "OBJECTID"
for field in metadata.fields:
    if field.name == search_for_field:
        field.definition = "Some updated information about the field defintiion"
        break  # not necessary, but faster as it stops searching once you've found the field

Get contact items (returns contact object)

contact = metadata.point_of_contact
contact_name = metadata.point_of_contact.contact_name
contact_email = metadata.point_of_contact.email

Change contact items (all contact items are string)

metadata.point_of_contact.contact_name = "First and Last Name"
metadata.point_of_contact.email = "email@address.com"

Edited nested lists

# make sure you have the right number of elements
# add new ones
while metadata.online_resource < 3:
    metadata.online_resource.new()
# or delete spare once
while metadata.online_resource > 3:
	metadata.online_resource.pop()
	
metadata.online_resource[0].name = "First download link"
metadata.online_resource[0].link = "http://somelink"
metadata.online_resource[0].function = "download"
metadata.online_resource[1].name = "Second download link"
metadata.online_resource[1].link = "http://someotherlink"
metadata.online_resource[1].function = "download"
metadata.online_resource[2].name = "Third download link"
metadata.online_resource[2].link = "http://yetanotherdownloadlink"
metadata.online_resource[2].function = "download"

Remove all items from the geoprocessing history

metadata.rm_gp_history()

Saving the changes back to the file

metadata.save() # save the metadata back to file.
metadata.cleanup() # remove all temporary files.

or

metadata.finish()  # save() and cleanup() as one call

If you want to enable automatic updates of your metadata (feature classes only) call.

metadata.finish(True) 

Supported items

Item description	Internal name	Type	Catalog Edit View	Path in ArcGIS XML file
Title	title	String	Overview/ Item Description/ Title	dataIdInfo/idCitation/resTitle
Abstract	abstract	String	Overview/ Item Description/ Description	dataIdInfo/idAbs
Purpose	purpose	String	Overview/ Item Description/ Summery	dataIdInfo/idPurp
Tags	tags	List	Overview/ Item Description/ Tags	dataIdInfo/searchKeys/keyword
Place Keywords	place_keywords	List	Overview/ Topics & Keywords/ Place Keyword	dataIdInfo/placeKeys/keyword
Extent Description	extent_description	String	Resource/ Extents/ Extent/ Description	dataIdInfo/dataExt/exDesc
Temporal Extent Description	temporal_extent_description	String		dataIdInfo/dataExt/tempDesc
Temporal Extent Instance	temporal_extent_instance	Date	Resource/ Extents/ Temporal Instance Extent/ Instance Date	dataIdInfo/dataExt/tempEle/exTemp/TM_Instant/tmPosition
Temporal Extent Start Date	temporal_extent_start	Date	Resource/ Extents/ Temporal Period Extent/ Begin Date	dataIdInfo/dataExt/tempEle/exTemp/TM_Period/tmBegin
Temporal Extent End Date	temporal_extent_end	Date	Resource/ Extents/ Temporal Period Extent/ End Date	dataIdInfo/dataExt/tempEle/exTemp/TM_Period/tmEnd
Minimum Scale	min_scale	Integer	Item Description/ Appropriate Scale Range/ Min Scale	Esri/scaleRange/minScale
Maximum Scale	max_scale	Integer	Item Description/ Appropriate Scale Range/ Max Scale	Esri/scaleRange/maxScale
Scale Resolution	scale_resolution	Integer	Resource/ Details/ Scale Resolution	dataIdInfo/dataScale/equScale/rfDenom
Last Update	last_update	Date	Overview/ Citation/ Dates/ Revised	dataIdInfo/idCitation/date/reviseDate
Update Frequency Description	update_frequency_description	String	Resource/ Maintenance/ Custom Frequency	dataIdInfo/resMaint/usrDefFreq/duration
Credits	credits	String	Overview/ Item Description/ Credits	dataIdInfo/idCredit
Citation	citation	String	Overview/ Citation/ Other Details	dataIdInfo/idCitation/otherCitDet
Limitation	limitation	String	Overview/ Item Description/ Use Limitation	dataIdInfo/resConst/Consts/useLimit
Supplemental Information	supplemental_information	String	Resource/ Supplemental Information	dataIdInfo/suppInfo
Source	source	String	Resource/ Lineage/ Data Source/ Source Description	dqInfo/dataLineage/dataSource/srcDesc
Points of contact	point_of_contact	ContactObj	Resource/ Details/ Points of Contact/ Contact/	dataIdInfo/idPoC
Maintenance Contacts	maintenance_contact	ContactObj	Resource/ Maintenance/ Maintenance Contact/	dataIdInfo/maintCont
Citation Contacts	citation_contact	ContactObj	Overview/ Citation Contact/ Contact/	dataIdInfo/idCitation/citRespParty
Language	language	String	Resource/ Detail/ Languages/ Language	dataIdInfo/dataLang
Metadata Language	metadata_language	String	Metadata/ Detail/ Language	dataIdInfo/mdLang
Alternate Title	alternate_title	String	Overview/Citation/Titles/Alternate Title	dataIdInfo/idCitation/resAltTitle
Identifier Code (1)	identifier_code1	String	Overview/Citation/Identifier/Code	dataIdInfo/idCitation/citId/identCode
Identifier Code (2)	identifier_code2	String	Overview/Citation/Identifier/Authority Citation/Identifier/Code	dataIdInfo/idCitation/citId/identAuth/citId/identCode
Identifier Code (3)	identifier_code3	String	Overview/Citation/Identifier/Authority Citation/Identifier/Authority Citation/Identifier/Code	dataIdInfo/idCitation/citId/identAuth/citId/identAuth/citId/identCode
Identifier Code (4)	identifier_code4	String	Resource/Lineage/Data Source/Reference System/Authority Citation/Identifier/Code	dqInfo/dataLineage/dataSource/srcRefSys/identAuth/citId/identCode
Metadata File Identifier	file_identifier	String	Metadata/Details/File Idnetifier	mdFileID
Dataset URI	dataset_uri	String	Metadata/Details/Dataset URI	dataSetURI
Resource Label	resource_label	String	Resource/Fields/Details/Label	eainfo/detailed/enttyp/enttypl
Format	format	String	Resource/Distribution/Distribution Format/Format Name	distInfo/distFormat/formatName
Field	attr	FieldObj	Resource/Fields/Entity and Attribute Information/Details	eainfo/detailed/attr

Field items

Item description	Internal name	Type	Relative path in ArcGIS XML file
Field Name	name	String	./attrlabl
Field Definition	definition	String	./attrdef

Contact items

Item description	Internal name	Type	Relative path in ArcGIS XML file
Contact Name	contact_name	String	./rpIndName
Position	position	String	./rpPosName
Organization	organization	String	./rpOrgName
Email	email	String	./rpCntInfo/eMailAdd
Address	address	String	./rpCntInfo/cntAddress/delPoint
City	city	String	rpCntInfo/./cntAddress/City
State	state	String	rpCntInfo/./cntAddress/adminArea
Zip	zip	String	rpCntInfo/./cntAddress/postCode
Country	country	String	./rpCntInfo/cntAddress/country
Phone Nb	phone_nb	String	./rpCntInfo/cntPhone/voiceNum
Fax Nb	fax_nb	String	./rpCntInfo/cntPhone/faxNum
Hours	hours	String	./rpCntInfo/cntHours
Instructions	instructions	String	./rpCntInfo/cntInstr
Website Link	link	String	./rpCntInfo/cntOnlineRes/linkage
Protocol	protocol	String	./rpCntInfo/cntOnlineRes/protocol
Profile	profile	String	./rpCntInfo/cntOnlineRes/appProfile
Website Name	or_name	String	./rpCntInfo/cntOnlineRes/orName
Website Description	or_desc	String	./rpCntInfo/cntOnlineRes/orDesc

Online Resource Items

Item description	Internal name	Type	Relative path in ArcGIS XML file
Link	link	String	./linkage
Protocol	protocol	String	./protocol
Profile	profile	String	./appProfile
Name	name	String	./orName
Description	description	String	./orDesc
Function	function	String	./orFunct/OnFunctCd

Don't see the item you need? Read more about how to extend arcpy_metadata to work with other metadata elements it doesn't yet handle in CONTRIBUTING.md.

Python and ArcGIS Support

arcpy_metadata version 1.x supports Python 3 and ArcGIS Pro only.

arcpy_metadata version 0.x runs on Python 2 and 3, which means it can, at a basic level, be used both with ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro. When 0.x was developed, ArcGIS Pro didn't yet have some of the metadata export functions that arcpy_metadata relies on though, so, as of version 0.5, you must specify a path to a metadata XML file, or use a dataset that already has its metadata in an accessible XML format (e.g. Shapefile), if you want to use that branch in ArcGIS Pro. Otherwise, for ArcGIS Pro, upgrade to version 1.x.

Under the hood

arcpy_metadata uses the strategy of exporting the metadata from the layer, then edits the xml export based on your method calls. When you're done, use finish() to save your data back to the source.

Known limitations

Does not yet support all metadata items. Work is in progress to support server-based dataset editing.

Legacy ArcMap Versions

arcpy_metadata version 0.x only works with 32-bit Python. We use arcpy.XSLTransform_conversion() to extract metadata from geodatabases. 64bit arcpy python bindings for background processing do not support tools inside the metadata conversion toolset. arcpy_metadata version 1.x for ArcGIS Pro does not have these limitations.

How to contribute or extend arcpy_metadata

Contributions are well come! Please fork and submit pull requests.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for more information on how to extend arcpy_metadata to new attributes

Acknowledgements

arcpy_metadata is maintained by Nick Santos at the California Department of Technology.

arcpy_metadata was initially a project of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and received significant contributions from the World Resources Institute. It was created as part of a larger project funded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Biogeographic Data Branch and further developed for Global Forest Watch. We thank our funders for their support and their commitment to high quality geospatial data.