Creating empty feature class in file geodatabase based on schema of ArcSDE feature class?

Question

I have 150+ feature classes in SDE for which I need to create an empty feature class in a file geodatabase. For these feature classes I need to import the attributes and the name of the feature class as in SDE. I tried to export to an XML workspace document but it is not working because of some error on the SDE and I'm not an SDE administrator, so I am unable to modify the things on the SDE.

An alternative to this that I tried was creating a script in Python for creating the feature class. I get the names of the feature class from the SDE but am unable to create them on the local SDE.

Also how can I read the geometry type for the feature class in arcpy?

Here is the code I've written:

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace= r"C:\Users\088927\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop10.0\ArcCatalog\ENT-QA @ sample.sde"
fcList = arcpy.ListFeatureClasses('sde."ENT-QA".*',"","")
output = "C:/Users/088927/Desktop/Schema.gdb"
for fc in fcList:
    fullName = arcpy.ParseTableName(fc)
    #fcTemplate = fc.
    finallist = []
    nameList = fullName.split(",")
    databaseName=nameList[0]
    ownerName = nameList[1]
    fcName = nameList [2]
    fcStr = str(fcName)
    print fcStr
    arcpy.CreateFeatureclass_management(r"C:\Users\abc\Desktop\Schema.gdb",fcstr)

Answer 1

Just use the CreateFeatureClass tool, passing the original feature class as the template argument. Grab the shape type from the Describe object of the input feature class.

Unlike the other answer, this won't copy a bunch of unnecessary records only to delete them right away.

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace= 'MyGDB.gdb'
fcs = arcpy.ListFeatureClasses()
output = "OutGDB.gdb"
for fc in fcs:
    geom = arcpy.Describe(fc).shapeType
    arcpy.CreateFeatureclass_management(output, fc, geom, fc, spatial_reference=fc)

UPDATE:

If you need to preserve domains/subtypes, then run Select_analysis using a generic where clause that will capture none of the records, like OBJECTID < 0:

import os, arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace= 'MyGDB.gdb'
fcs = arcpy.ListFeatureClasses()
output = "OutGDB.gdb"
wc = 'OBJECTID < 0'
for fc in fcs:
    fc_out = os.path.join(output, fc)
    arcpy.Select_analysis(fc, fc_out, wc)

This is far more efficient than copying all the records and then deleting them. I've yet to find an approach that will preserve editor tracking.

Answer 2

Short of being able to figure out why you cannot export an XML schema from SDE, there is a quick and dirty method you might try. This will depend on if you have enough space and privileges.

1. Create an empty file geodatabase.
2. Use the copy featureclass tool with the batch option to copy all 150 featureclasses from the SDE geodatabase to your empty file geodatabase.
3. Set up a python script to cycle through all the featureclasses and run the delete features tool on each of them.

Assuming this works, it should leave you with a file geodatabase that contains all of the empty featureclasses from SDE with all the attribute fields and even the domains and relationship classes if they were defined.

It is definitely clunky, but I've also run across a schema that would not export to an xml workspace due to errors in the schema.

As for your other question, you might check out this help topic on working with geometries It should at least get you on the right track. It may also help to post that as a separate question, or search to see if it has already been asked.

Good luck!