arcpyda

arcpyda refers to the arcpy.da module, the Data Access component of Esri’s ArcPy library. It provides high-performance, row-based data access for geodatabase tables and feature classes as part of the ArcGIS platform. The module is designed to enable efficient read and write operations on large datasets and is the recommended alternative to legacy cursors in ArcPy.

The arcpy.da module exposes a set of cursors for working with rows: SearchCursor, UpdateCursor, and InsertCursor. These cursors allow reading rows, modifying existing rows, and inserting new rows with a focus on memory efficiency and speed. When using arcpy.da cursors, users specify the target table or feature class, the fields to return, and optionally a SQL where clause to filter rows. Rows are accessed by index corresponding to the order of the requested fields, and updates or inserts are applied through cursor operations. The module can handle a range of data sources supported by ArcGIS, including file geodatabases, enterprise geodatabases, and shapefiles, subject to licensing and data type compatibility.

Typical use cases include bulk field updates, data extraction and filtering, and controlled data ingestion into geodatabases. arcpy.da is designed to work within Python scripts and geoprocessing tools, often delivering better performance for large datasets than older ArcPy cursor approaches. It requires an ArcGIS license and appropriate data access permissions, but it is widely supported across ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Desktop environments.

See also: ArcPy, arcpy.da documentation, data access cursors.