Automate deleting fields from a feature class

Summary

GIS users sometimes need an automated method to delete a specified number of columns or fields on feature classes when simplifying data. Instructions provided describe how to do this using a Python script.

Procedure

1. Modify the below parameters accordingly:
   
   

   workspace ="C:/Delete/fgdb/WGS84.gdb"   
   table = "test"  
   max_val = 3

   
   
2. 
   

   Code:
   import arcpy, os, string
   
   def DeleteFields(workspace,table,max_val):
       arcpy.env.workspace = workspace
       field_list = arcpy.ListFields(table) 
       listx = []
       #Populate list
       for field in field_list:
           listx.append(field.name)
               
       #Remove required fields
       if 'Shape.STLength()' in listx:
           listx.remove('Shape.STLength()')
       if 'Shape' in listx:
           listx.remove('Shape')
       if 'SHAPE.STLength()' in listx:
           listx.remove('SHAPE.STLength()')
       if 'Shape.STArea()' in listx:
           listx.remove('Shape.STArea()')
       if 'SHAPE.STArea()' in listx:
           listx.remove('SHAPE.STArea()')
       if 'SHAPE.AREA' in listx:
           listx.remove('SHAPE.AREA')
       if 'SHAPE.LEN' in listx:
           listx.remove('SHAPE.LEN')
       if 'SHAPE.LEN' in listx:
           listx.remove('SHAPE.LEN')
       if 'SHAPE' in listx:
           listx.remove('SHAPE')
       if 'Shape' in listx:
           listx.remove('Shape')
       if 'OBJECTID' in listx:
           listx.remove('OBJECTID')
       if 'FID' in listx:
           listx.remove('FID')
           
       try:                  
           cnt = 0
           while cnt <= max_val -1 :       
               arcpy.DeleteField_management(table,  str(listx[cnt]) )
               print "Deleted field {0}".format(listx[cnt])
               cnt +=1
       except:
           print "Warning: Max value may be higher than available fields to delete"
         
       #clear memory  
       del cnt, field, listx, field_list
   
   if __name__== "__main__":
   
       workspace ="Database Connections\Connection to test.sde"     #workspace
       table = "test2"                        #name of table
       max_val = 3                              #Limiting value. E.g. 3
       DeleteFields(workspace,table,max_val)