Python syntax error with arcpy UpdateCursor

Question

I am new to python and would like to have a script that looks at a feature class and compares the values in two text fields and then populates a third field with a Y or N depending on if the values are the same or not. I think I need to use an UpdateCursor with an if statement. I have tried the following but I get a syntax error when I try to run it. I am using ArcGIS 10.1 and know that the daCursor is better but I am just trying to wrap my head around cursors and thought I would try and keep it simple for now.

#import system modules
import  arcpy
from arcpy import env
import os
import sys


#set environment settings
working_fc = sys.argv[1]
working_gdb = os.path.split(working_fc)[0]


#use an update cursor to populate the field BEC_UPDATED based on the     result of a query 
#query = ("SELECT  * FROM working_fc" "WHERE [BEC_LABEL] = [BEC_V9]")
#if the query is true, then BEC_UPDATED should be popluated with "N"
#if the query is false, then BEC_UPDATED should be populated with "Y"

rows = arcpy.UpdateCursor (working_fc)
for row in rows:
    if row.getValue("BEC_LABEL") == row.getValue("BEC_V9")
    row.BEC_UPDATED = "N"
    else
    row.BEC_UPDATED = "Y"
    rows.updateRow(row)

 print "BEC_UPDATED field populated"

Answer 1

Your syntax error is caused by indentation and missing colons. Python is picky about that, so always check that when you're getting a syntax error.

rows = arcpy.UpdateCursor(working_fc)
for row in rows:
    if row.getValue("BEC_LABEL") == row.getValue("BEC_V9"):
        row.BEC_UPDATED = "N"
    else:
        row.BEC_UPDATED = "Y"
    rows.updateRow(row)

---

Changing this to the da.UpdateCursor syntax is essentially the same, but requires you to specify the attributes you are interested in up front. It's worth practicing, because once you get into more complex scripts it will become easier :)

fieldList = ["BEC_LABEL", "BEC_V9", "BEC_UPDATED"]
with arcpy.da.UpdateCursor(working_fc, fieldList) as cursor:
    for row in cursor:
        if row[0] == row[1]:
            row[2] = "N"
        else:
            row[2] = "Y"
        cursor.updateRow(row)