Indexer and FilteredElementCollector

[michellem]

Hello Everyone;

I am trying to get a list of the elementIDs of text styles (TextNoteType) by suppling the names of the text styles. The text style names come from a CSV data file where each line (record) contains the name plus other info.

So I have used the following code in Revit Python Shell to get a list of text styles:

ListOfTextStyles = FilteredElementCollector(doc).OfClass (TextNoteType)
a = ListOfTextStyles.ToElements()

One of the properties shown by RPS when I type "a.it.." is this:

Am I correct that Item is an indexer of some kind and that if I formatted the call correctly that I would get a specific TextNoteType by specifying its name? A call something like this: TextStyle = a.Item(Property = "Type Name")["style name"]

My understanding of indexers is fuzzy at best but I gather an indexer is a way to access a collection of objects. For example, the indexer used to get items from a python list would be an integer indicating the position of the item in the collection. And for a python dictionary, the indexer would be the key value of the item in the collection. Would this be correct?

Can someone tell me if I can do what I think I can? And if so, how?

Sincerely;

Michelle

Michelle

[RPTHOMAS108 · Accepted solution]

.ToElememts returns a generic IList<T>

The property IList<T>.Item is an indexer but takes integer to get the item by its index in the list (0-based). To get a specific item by its name you would either have to filter more specifically with the API collector or filter the elements you get from it.

In C# you would use Linq in Python you would likely iterate the list and pick out the item via name property etc. or if matching multiple items create a new list based on elements passing the condition.

Similar to

You may get better advice on a Python specific forum since filtering lists is a general programming thing following the syntax of your chosen language and not specific to the API.

[jeremy_tammik · Accepted solution]

No need for the ToElements method. You can mostly just leave it away. Doing so may even save memory and improve performance:

• https://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2016/04/how-to-distinguish-redundant-rooms.html#2

Also answered on StackOverflow:

• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77303569/how-does-an-indexer-work-with-a-filteredelementcollecto... 

[michellem]

Hello  RPTHOMAS108;

I think you are right - not possible to get item simply but passing in the name.

Still, I would like to know where Python came up with Item and what its autocomplete suggestion means...

Oh well, I'll see if I can find a Revit + Python forum...