python- Feature class attribute manipulation

Question

Is there a way to remove all attributes from a feature class and then add new ones from an existing feature class? I have an application that is directed to a specific path, however the data it represents is updated regularly from a third party source and I have to download the updated feature class. If I were to simply load the new ones into the old I would have duplicates. I'm trying to automate this whole process with Python 2.6.

Answer 1

Short of writing your code for you, use arcpy.ListFields() to loop over the fields of each featureclass. Be careful not to totally denude the target class of identifying info; use an if/then w/in that loop.

You haven't really specified the common key/relate field but you'll want to keep that around, at least, in order to transfer information to relevant features in target.

P.S. why 2.6? Time to update both ArcGIS & Python!