topic Re: Get user input text in arcpy in Python Questions

Get user input text in arcpy

WilliamIde — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:12:32 GMT

I want to ask the user what name to give to a report. I could use Tkinter to do this but it seem there should be something in arcpy to do it. Just pop up a little dialog ask for some text and return that text as a string. Is there something like that?

Thanks.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

JoelCalhoun — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 19:24:10 GMT

You could easily do that in a script tool, but I'm not sure of your workflow.

Joel

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

NobbirAhmed — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 03:30:38 GMT

Use raw_input to get user input in command line:

in_txt = raw_input('Enter your value :')

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

WilliamIde — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 19:25:03 GMT

To be clear. I want a dialog by that pops up and asked the user to enter some text and press OK. Then I return the the main program and use the text create a report heading. raw_input gave me an error "EOF found while reading."

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

JasonScheirer — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 20:38:04 GMT

This isn't supported from ArcMap directly, the way for Python to interact with the user in the desktop environment is through GP tool dialogs. That is, write it as a script tool with the report name as a parameter.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

NobbirAhmed — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 04:32:58 GMT

If you really want a pop-up dialog you can create a script tool. For your convenience I'm attaching a python script tool as a zip file.

When unzipped, you'll see following files there:

PopUp.tbx - a toolbox containing a script too and a Model.
pop_up_script - the source script of the tool.
calling_script - how to call the tool from another stand-alone script.
python_window.txt - how to call the tool from Python window.

In ArcMap, browse to the location of the toolbox (unzipped folder). From the toolbox open the script tool - whatever text value you enter will be returned as a text. For this particular tool, it changes all character to upper case and returns it. If you need help - start here:

http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/A_quick_tour_of_creating_script_tools/001500000006000000/

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

WilliamIde — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:06:56 GMT

I didn't get the zip file.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

NobbirAhmed — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:25:06 GMT

Sorry - here it is.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

WilliamIde — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:06:48 GMT

Ok I got the Zip file and am working with it.

I still can't get it to work.

In the code of calling_script.py (I change to path to where I have it.)

You have:

try:
arcpy.ImportToolbox(r"D:\Myprojects\Arcscripts\POPUP\PopUp.tbx")
result = arcpy.PopupInputBox_popup("A message from Popupbox")

the "PopupInputBox_popup" is not resolved and the script won't run. Also the test model has a Red "X" in it and won't run.

What now.

This is much harder that using Tkinter.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

NobbirAhmed — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:17:35 GMT

Once you get used to it you'll love script tools 🙂

In Catalog tree, right-click on the script tool and select Properties...

Click on the second tab Source and check whether the path to the script is where you have saved your script:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15181[/ATTACH]

If you still get error please email me at nahmed@esri.com - we'll post the result to the thread once solved.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

WilliamIde — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:37:13 GMT

Nope All I get back is "A Message from popup box" Which is the string going in. Nothing ever pops up. I runs completes ARRRR... I am done with the writing the code in Tkinter. took me about 10 min. I run all the arcpy I need to get the job done. Why isn't Tkinter supported? I think it should be.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

NobbirAhmed — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:53:25 GMT

All I get back is "A Message from popup box" Which is the string going in. Nothing ever pops up.

Nothing will pop up - the tool that you are using is the dialog and substitutes the pop-up. You use it to get a string value from the user. So, in your case, the user will type the name of the report (a string), the script behind the code will capture the string and do whatever you want the script to do. The advantage is that you can chain this dialog (i.e., the tool) in ModelBuilder and any other Python or .Net or Java application. You can drag-drop this tool to an ArcMap toolbar - it will work as a button.

Why isn't Tkinter supported? I think it should be.

The reason is TkInter's event loop does not work with ArcMap.

You can read through these forum threads where some users are able to use TkInter.

http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/38292-Making-a-GUI-app?highlight=TkInter

http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/58207-ArcPy-and-Tkinter?highlight=TkInter

http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/32040-Tkinter-GUI-Disconnect-with-ArcGIS-Script-Interface?highlight=TkInter

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

WilliamIde — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:45:07 GMT

In future releases of Arc 10.x. It seems to me that ESRI could find out where the conflict is with Tkinter and fix it. ESRI seem to be using Python as the main scripting language. Which I think is a good idea. But, if they are, they should adopt it fully and not just the scripting part. That way we developers could bring the whole weight of the Vast python set of tool to bear on any problem we find.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

JeffButurff — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:41:38 GMT

I'm stuck on this same concept. Any resolution here?

All I want to do is be able to provide a text input box to the user. For example, I want the user to "Enter a PIN:". When they do, I search for that pin. Zoom to the selected feature. Buffer it by 100'. Select all the features in the buffer. Create mailing labels of all the features.

Everything else is easy enough to do with a Python add-in, except Step 1: ASK THE USER FOR INPUT....

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

NobbirAhmed — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:02:31 GMT

Use a combobox to take the input. Make sure set the combobox's editable property to true.

Write your code inside the OnEnter event of the combobox.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

JeffButurff — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:59:39 GMT

Is there no easy way to present a modal dialog box asking the user for input when they hit a button using a python add-in? This was basic functionality in VBA in ArcGIS 8.0.

My client has a custom toolbar with 10 buttons on it, each representing a different type of "search". When the user clicks a button, it presents a modal dialog box, asking for the "search item", such as PIN, ADDRESS, POLE_ID, etc.

My client would prefer this all be written in python for maintenance reasons, but it sounds like Python can't do this simple task...

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

NobbirAhmed — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:32:01 GMT

Sorry Jeff 😞 There is no TextBox add-in even in ArcObjects .Net SDK.

These controls are created through an IDE. You can use WxPython to create such controls. Here is a blog - check it out:

Custom wxPython GUI�??s: an approach for ArcGIS 10.1

The easy and safe is to create a script tool (with a string parameter in your case) and call pythonaddins.GPToolDialog(.....) to pop-up that tool.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

PatrickJurgens — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 12:17:28 GMT

Use a combobox to take the input. Make sure set the combobox's editable property to true.

Write your code inside the OnEnter event of the combobox.

The problem with this is that I want to accept a long string from the user, maybe one thousand characters. I can't expect them to enter that in a tiny combo box, and it would be especially lame to make a very large combo box that would use up valuable screen space even when it is not in use.
A popup window with a text box is what I want. Not a combo box, not a stupid script tool interface.

The TKinter internal loop back problem has been know about for a long time. Why not fix it already?

also, wxPython is not a python standard library. At my work place I am unable to install python libraries, so I am stuck with tkinter.

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

stevekenneth — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 06:55:35 GMT

Hi. Thanks to Mr Nobbir for the zipped file. I'm searching for something like that more than a year

I would create an customized tool for cadastral search. I would to know how set this script to search a value in shapefile table, to return a message if the inputs value hasn't been found, or automaticaly sélect thé feature if the user inputs exist.

Thanks before

Re: Get user input text in arcpy

WilliamMcLay — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:34:09 GMT

I am attempting to ask the user for a "proposal number" and simply zoom in on that proposal. I can call the Pop-Up Box and enter the value for the "proposal". But that value is not being passed into "SelectByAttribute_management" (see code below). Python says "AttributeError 'module' object has no attribute". Any help would be appreciated!

Thank You.

#Importing Modules
import arcpy

#Call PopUpBox
try:
    arcpy.ImportToolbox(r"F:\Data\Arcadwin\Toolboxes\PopUp.tbx")
    result=arcpy.PopupInputBox_popup("A message from popup box")
    in_val=result.getOutput(0)
    print in_val.upper()

except arcpy.ExecuteError:
print arcpy.GetMessages(2)

except Exception as ex:
print ex.args[0]

#Define WhereClause
WhereClause = '"MCPC_Num"' + "='" + str(in_val) + "'"

#Find the layer
mxd=arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("CURRENT")
df=arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd,"Layers")[0]

#Select by Attributes
arcpy.SelectByAttribute_management("Year 2015 Proposals", "NEW_SELECTION", WhereClause)

#Zoom to Selection
df.ZoomToSelectedFeatures()

#Refresh
arcpy.RefreshActiveView()