Book Image

Programming ArcGIS 10.1 with Python Cookbook

By : Donald Eric Pimpler, Eric Pimpler
Book Image

Programming ArcGIS 10.1 with Python Cookbook

By: Donald Eric Pimpler, Eric Pimpler

Overview of this book

ArcGIS is an industry standard geographic information system from ESRI.This book will show you how to use the Python programming language to create geoprocessing scripts, tools, and shortcuts for the ArcGIS Desktop environment.This book will make you a more effective and efficient GIS professional by showing you how to use the Python programming language with ArcGIS Desktop to automate geoprocessing tasks, manage map documents and layers, find and fix broken data links, edit data in feature classes and tables, and much more."Programming ArcGIS 10.1 with Python Cookbook" starts by covering fundamental Python programming concepts in an ArcGIS Desktop context. Using a how-to instruction style you'll then learn how to use Python to automate common important ArcGIS geoprocessing tasks.In this book you will also cover specific ArcGIS scripting topics which will help save you time and effort when working with ArcGIS. Topics include managing map document files, automating map production and printing, finding and fixing broken data sources, creating custom geoprocessing tools, and working with feature classes and tables, among others.In "Python ArcGIS 10.1 Programming Cookbook" you'll learn how to write geoprocessing scripts using a pragmatic approach designed around an approach of accomplishing specific tasks in a Cookbook style format.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
Programming ArcGIS 10.1 with Python Cookbook
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Finding all broken data sources in all map documents in a folder


A common scenario in many organizations involves the movement of data from one workspace to another or from one workspace type to another. When this happens, any map documents or layers that reference these data sources become broken. Finding each of these data sources can be a huge task if undertaken manually. Fortunately, you can create a geoprocessing script that will find all broken data sources in a folder or list of folders.

Getting ready

In this recipe, you will learn how to recursively search directories for map document files, find any broken data sources within those map documents, and write the names of the broken data layers to a file.

How to do it...

Follow these steps to learn how to find all broken data sources in all map documents in a folder:

  1. Open IDLE and create a new script window.

  2. Import the arcpy and os packages:

    import arcpy.mapping as mapping, os
  3. Define a path where you'd like to begin the search. In this case...