Feature Class To Shapefile (Conversion)

Summary

Copies the features from one or more feature classes or layers to a folder of shapefiles.

Usage

• Shapefiles have many limitations compared to feature classes in a geodatabase. For example, shapefile attributes cannot store null values; they round up numbers, they have poor support for Unicode character strings, they do not allow field names longer than 10 characters, and they cannot store both a date and time in a field. Additionally, they do not support capabilities found in geodatabases such as domains and subtypes.

  Learn more about shapefile limitations

• The name of the output shapefile will be the name of the input feature class. For example, if the input is C:\base.gdb\rivers, the output shapefile will be named rivers.shp. To explicitly control the output shapefile name and for some additional conversion options, see the Feature Class To Feature Class tool.

• If the output shapefile already exists in the Output Folder, a number will be appended to the end to make the shapefile name unique (for example, rivers_1.shp).

Parameters

Dialog

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Input Features	The list of input feature classes or feature layers that will be converted and added to the output folder.	Feature Layer
Output Folder	The folder where the shapefiles will be written.	Folder

Derived Output

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Updated Output Folder	The folder containing the new shapefiles.	Folder

Python

arcpy.conversion.FeatureClassToShapefile(Input_Features, Output_Folder)

Name	Explanation	Data Type
Input_Features [Input_Features,...]	The list of input feature classes or feature layers that will be converted and added to the output folder.	Feature Layer
Output_Folder	The folder where the shapefiles will be written.	Folder

Derived Output

Name	Explanation	Data Type
Derived_Folder	The folder containing the new shapefiles.	Folder

Code sample

FeatureClassToShapefile example 1 (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the FeatureClassToShapefile function in immediate mode.

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data/airport.gdb"
arcpy.FeatureClassToShapefile_conversion(["county", "parcels", "schools"],
                                         "C:/output")

FeatureClassToShapefile example 2 (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use the FeatureClassToShapefile function.

# Name: FeatureClassToShapefile_Example2.py
# Description: Use FeatureClassToShapefile to copy feature classes to shapefiles

# Import system modules
import arcpy
 
# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data"
 
# Set local variables
inFeatures = ["climate.shp", "majorrds.shp"]
outLocation = "C:/output"
 
# Execute FeatureClassToGeodatabase
arcpy.FeatureClassToShapefile_conversion(inFeatures, outLocation)

Environments

Current Workspace, Scratch Workspace, Output Coordinate System, Geographic Transformations, Extent, XY Resolution, XY Tolerance, Output has M values, M Resolution, M Tolerance, Output has Z values, Default Output Z Value, Z Resolution, Z Tolerance, Qualified Field Names, Output CONFIG Keyword, Auto Commit, Output XY Domain, Output M Domain, Output Z Domain, Transfer Field Domain Descriptions

Licensing information

• Basic: Yes
• Standard: Yes
• Advanced: Yes