Creating Unique Feature Class, Feature Layer, and Field Names with ArcPy

Most Python/ArcPy scripts frequently require the creation of new feature classes, feature layers, and, at times, fields. I developed scripts that return unique names for these so that I don't have to worry about my script throwing an error because files already exist, or worry that my script copies over existing data.

Unique file or feature class name:

def UniqueFileName(Location = "in_memory", Name = "file", Extension = ""):
    """
    returns an unused file name
    'Location' will be the file folder
    'Name' will be the file name plus numeric extension if needed
    'Extension' is the file extension

    similar to arcpy.CreateUniqueName
    """
    import arcpy
    import os

    if Extension:

        outName = os.path.join (Location, Name + "." + Extension)
    else:
        outName = os.path.join (Location, Name)
    i = 0
    while arcpy.Exists (outName):
        i += 1
        if Extension:
            outName = os.path.join (Location, 
                                    Name + "_" + str(i) + "." + Extension)
        else:
            outName = os.path.join (Location, Name + "_" + str(i))
        
    return outName

Unique feature layer name:

def UniqueLayerName(inFC = None, sql = None):
    """
    returns an unused feature layer name
    """
    import arcpy
    lyrName = "lyr0"
    i = 0
    while arcpy.Exists (lyrName):
        i += 1
        lyrName = "lyr" + str(i)
    if inFC:
        arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management (inFC, lyrName, sql) 
    return lyrName

Unique field name:

def UniqueFieldName(inFC, inField = "NEWFIELD"):
    """
    returns an unused field name
    """
    import arcpy

    Type = arcpy.Describe (inFC).dataType

    if Type == "ShapeFile":
        inField = inField[:10]

    fields = [f.name for f in arcpy.ListFields (inFC)]
    i = 0
    outField = inField
    while outField in fields:
        i += 1
        outField = inField + "_" + str(i)

        q = 0
        while Type == "ShapeFile" and len (outField) > 10:
            q -= 1
            outField = inField[:q] + "_" + str(i)

    return outField