topic Re: ArcToolbox script will not return values in Python Questions

ArcToolbox script will not return values

HenryColgate — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:16:32 GMT

Okay most of that stuff in here before was redundant so it seems.

New toolbox, new Script. No changes made to validation. No input at all. Just a straight run of the script does not work.

import arcpy
mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("current")
arcpy.AddMessage(mxd.title)

Hopefully that is a bit easier to answer cos I reckon I must be missing something really, really simple.

Re: ArcToolbox script will not return values

PhilMorefield — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:22:36 GMT

Okay most of that stuff in here before was redundant so it seems.

New toolbox, new Script. No changes made to validation. No input at all. Just a straight run of the script does not work.

import arcpy
mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("current")
arcpy.AddMessage(mxd.title)

Hopefully that is a bit easier to answer cos I reckon I must be missing something really, really simple.

Based on what I see here, you are missing something really simple: a single line of code.

arcpy.GetMessages()

Re: ArcToolbox script will not return values

KevinHibma — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 22:34:30 GMT

Code is absolutely fine.
I suspect you dont have a title in your map document. If you dont have a title, mxd.title will equal ''.
In this case the AddMessage doesn't return anything.

The title it is returning is from:
File > Map Document Properties > Title: ________

Can you be sure you got something in there?
Also as a check, take your code into the Python window.

mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("current")
mxd.title

(the arcpy.AddMessage isn't going to do what you want in the Py Window

Re: ArcToolbox script will not return values

PhilMorefield — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 22:34:33 GMT

Code is absolutely fine.
I suspect you dont have a title in your map document. If you dont have a title, mxd.title will equal ''.
In this case the AddMessage doesn't return anything.

The title it is returning is from:
File > Map Document Properties > Title: ________

Can you be sure you got something in there?
Also as a check, take your code into the Python window.
mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("current")
mxd.title
(the arcpy.AddMessage isn't going to do what you want in the Py Window

Based on my reading of his description, it looks like he's trying to run this as a script tool, not from the Python window. Hence, he would need arcpy.GetMessages() to return the document title to the geoprocessing window.

Re: ArcToolbox script will not return values

HenryColgate — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 07:15:55 GMT

Yes, just needed to add the info there in File... Map Docuemnt Properties... Title

I thought it was getting pulled straight from the file name.

Thanks.

Re: ArcToolbox script will not return values

KevinHibma — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:08:49 GMT

Based on my reading of his description, it looks like he's trying to run this as a script tool, not from the Python window. Hence, he would need arcpy.GetMessages() to return the document title to the geoprocessing window.

arcpy.GetMessages is specific to getting messages from a tool which has executed.
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/GetMessages/000v0000000p000000/

Re: ArcToolbox script will not return values

PhilMorefield — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 22:34:35 GMT

arcpy.GetMessages is specific to getting messages from a tool which has executed.
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/GetMessages/000v0000000p000000/

Well, this is a digression, but that link is a bit misleading. You can put whatever you want into a message. For example, if you put this code into a script tool:

import arcpy
arcpy.AddMessage("This is just a message...")
arcpy.AddWarning("This text is green...")
arcpy.AddError("This text is red...")
arcpy.GetMessages()

# this will make the tool bomb out
foo = bar

No tools have executed but you've still returned three messages.