FindLabel not Defined in ArcMap labeling with Python Parser?

Question

I'm trying to make an advanced label expression using the python parser and I keep getting the following error:

The expression contains an error.  
Modify the expression and try again.

Error 0 on line 0.   
Error running expression: FindLabel()   
Traceback (most recent call last):    
 File "<expression>", line 1, in <module>   
NameError: name 'FindLabel' is not defined  

def FindLabel ( [Direction] ):
  return  "{}° {}' {}\"".format( [Direction].split("-"))

Can anyone tell me why FindLabel is not defined?

Answer 1

I think there is a bug in their parser as I am not getting identical behavior between a Python prompt and the label expression evaluator.

Try the following as a workaround:

def FindLabel ( [Direction] ):
    return "{}° {}' {}".format(*[Direction].split('-')) + chr(34)

There were two problems:

1. Due to a bug with the ESRI parser (this is legal in pure Python), you cannot escape a double-quote with a backslash if the string is surrounded by double-quotes. Similarly, you cannot escape a single-quote with a backslash if the string is surrounded by single-quotes, although this is also legal in pure Python. Triple-quoted strings also don't work the same as at a Python prompt.

   Examples that work in a Python prompt but not in a Python label expression:

   • "I am 6'2\" tall."
   • """I am 6'2" tall."""
   • 'I am 6\'2" tall.'
   • '''I am 6'2" tall.'''

   To work around this, you can instead concatenate it or format it into the string separately.

2. The str.format() function expects args or kwargs, not a sequence. You can use the * operator to unpack a sequence into arguments, which is what I did above, and it works.

---

Side note -- because this is a 1-liner you can uncheck the "Advanced" box and just use the expression itself instead of a complete function:

"{}° {}' {}".format(*[Direction].split('-')) + chr(34)

Answer 2

It should actually give you a syntax error telling you your code block is invalid, because that's what's going on here.

Should look like this:

def FindLabel (Direction):
  return u"{}° {}' {}\"".format(Direction.split("-"))