The best python development environment for arc

[BrianKneller]

HI I have tried to use pythonwin with an ESRI training script and it failed setting access to arcpy. The side effect was to stop ARCGIS and I was unable to restart. With help I got ARG running agin but was unable to access the tool boxes OK. I fixed that using ARC rebuild as I was unsure as to the source of the problem. I contacted the python win author -- no reply, I cannot uninstall the software either. To be fair it could be an ARC problem. However I need to use ARC but I have been put off by the lack of resilience using python win. I would like some advice please, is there a better,  more robust solution than python win? or if this is an ARC problem and did I miss something blinding obvious?

[XanderBakker]

This poll shows   with additional options added as comments below. It is really a personal choice which IDE is best for you.

[BrianKneller]

Thanks the  poll is very useful, I am going to use Pyscripter to start with and then move onto Wing later if I need to.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Pythonwin works very well with ArcMap.  I suspect that you didn't install it properly.  For Python 2.7 your installation path should be

C:\Python27\ArcGIS10.2\Lib\site-packages\pythonwin  and pythonwin.exe is there, make a shortcut and put it on your desktop

PyScripter is located here

"C:\Program Files (x86)\PyScripter\PyScripter.exe" 

The order that you install any IDE greatly depends upon when you installed arcmap during the whole installation process

[BrianKneller]

HI  Dan, your last sentence is interesting, I installed ARC and then tried to install Pythonwin, which as I have already said failed and will not no de -install.  What are the issues associated with the order of installation please? and what should be done? From what has been said Pythonwin is good so I need to make it work.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

I first thought about this when I installed ArcMap on a new machine...no python installation.

After the installation Python could be located in this folder C:\Python27\ArcGIS10.2\ leading me to conclude that Esri preferred to have Python referenced in a known folder.  I subsequently installed pythonwin, which in that version of ArcMap (can't remember which version) came as a separate distribution on the installation CD.  The last time I installed ArcMap (most recent?) I had to download Pythonwin and Pyscripter separately and install them.  Both programs were clever enough to locate Python and they merrily went their way and everything was fine.  The only time that I have seen problems is when students had versions of Python already installed on their machines with pythonwin and it misbehaved.  This also occurred when Python was located in a non-standard folder or it was a new version that was supported.  Many threads have been dedicated on how do I get '...Python x.x to work with ArcMap...''' and recommendations normally lead people down the path on how to fix the python path file to work with their environment.  To uninstall...which I am not going to try.... requires that you use Windows uninstall and locate a file called pywin32-218 where 218 stands for the build number.

So in short, I hope this works...if not...I will reimburse my consulting fee

[BrianKneller]

Thanks Dan, the cheque is in the post

[MikeLouwrens]

I've found PythonWin works great for Python and ArcMap, I never had any problems with it.  I would suggest the same as Dan Patterson that you might not have installed it properly.

I have switched from PythonWin to MS Visual Studio now though since I use VS for a lot of other things as well so it's just become a one-stop shop for me now.

Cheers,

Mike.

[StephanieSnider]

I use IDLE (Python GUI) to write my scripts.  But I do my code testing in the python window of ArcMap.