PYT: Prevent function call until tool is initialized, not when toolbox is initialized?

AlfredBaldenweck — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 22:07:03 GMT

So, the title doesn't make a lot of sense, but what I have going on is:

I have a PYT containing several tools.

I've added a class variable to one of the tools that calls a function to create a dictionary.

class Toolbox: def __init__(self): self.label = "" self.alias = "" self.tools = [tool1, tool2] class tool1: def createDict(): retDict = {} return retDict retDict = createDict() def __init__(self): self.label = "" self.description = "" def getParameterInfo(self): return params def isLicensed(self): return True def updateParameters(self, parameters): return def updateMessages(self, parameters): return def execute(self, parameters, messages): pass return def postExecute(self, parameters): return

The issue that I'm having is that the function (Lines 7-9) to create that class variable (Line 10) is called when I initialize the toolbox, not when I initialize that particular tool. This is making opening the toolbox take longer than it should, particularly given that I might want to use the other several tools and don't care about that dictionary getting created.

How can I make it so the function doesn't get called until I open that tool? I'm cool with waiting however long I need to; I just don't want to wait until I need to.

I'd be cool with like, adding it as a derived parameter in getParameterInfo(), but there isn't an option in Parameter data types to just use a python dictionary.

Any ideas? Thanks!

Re: PYT: Prevent function call until tool is initialized, not when toolbox is initialized?

AlfredBaldenweck — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:51:36 GMT

Okay, I figured out two solutions here.

Solution 1 (unpreferred): Create a parameter and load the dictionary into it as a string (not preferred). This is kind of clunky and you end up having to import json for it to work. Also, this is a specific solution for a specific datatype, so not great.

class Toolbox: def __init__(self): self.label = "" self.alias = "" self.tools = [tool1, tool2] class tool1: def createDict(): retDict = {} return retDict def __init__(self): self.label = "" self.description = "" def getParameterInfo(self): param0 = arcpy.Parameter(displayName="Dictionary", name="retDict", datatype="GPString", parameterType="Required", # multivalue= True, direction="Input") param0.value = str(tool1.createDict()).replace("'",'"') params = [param0] return params def isLicensed(self): return True def updateParameters(self, parameters): return def updateMessages(self, parameters): return def execute(self, parameters, messages): import json retDict = loads(parameters[0].value) return def postExecute(self, parameters): return

Solution 2 (preferred): Create a class variable, but just don't run it until you initialize the tool. That is, populate it in getParameterInfo().

This seems a lot cleaner -- no changing between data types, no extra modules, etc.

class Toolbox: def __init__(self): self.label = "" self.alias = "" self.tools = [tool1, tool2] class tool1: def createDict(): retDict = {} return retDict # I set the variable to initialize empty. # This is in part so I don't forget that it's there. retDict = {} def __init__(self): self.label = "" self.description = "" def getParameterInfo(self): param0 = ... # I used setattr() because doing self.retDict # didn't take the change. setattr(tool1, "retDict", tool1.createDict()) return params def isLicensed(self): return True def updateParameters(self, parameters): return def updateMessages(self, parameters): return def execute(self, parameters, messages): pass return def postExecute(self, parameters): return

Hopefully this helps someone down the line.

topic PYT: Prevent function call until tool is initialized, not when toolbox is initialized? in Python Questions

PYT: Prevent function call until tool is initialized, not when toolbox is initialized?

Re: PYT: Prevent function call until tool is initialized, not when toolbox is initialized?