Need a simple final project idea using Python 2.7 in ArcMap.

[ShalinR]

Need any simple idea that would come to your mind. It is due in a few days, but I've been battling with what to create a program on, also Im a newbie when it comes to coding, even in Python. Any help is appreciated it!

[Katie_Clark]

I'm assuming this is for a school project....it would help to know a bit more about the project requirements so we know what scope the script should cover.

A few things that come to mind as very important for someone just learning how to make script tools in ArcGIS is understanding how to receive user input for script variables with GetParameterAsText.

A simple place to start would be thinking of a repetitive workflow that involves many steps that you can combine in one script. One example that comes to mind for something I might run into in my work is this - for every single county in a state, you need to clip the states stream data just for that county. 

Hope that helps with the brainstorming, at least!

[ShalinR]

Hi, thank you for your kind reply. My professor mentioned we can do anything related to geoprocessing, it does not have to be anything extraordinary, it just has to apply what we learned in our activities (employing clip, buffer, etc., tools in our project). 

[JoeBorgione]

Every geoprocessing tool has an arcpy syntax provided in online help. For example take a look at the clip tool; scroll down until you see the Syntax heading...

[ShalinR]

I think I will just import a shapefile, add some features, and run geoprocessing tools via a script for basic understanding. I don't want it to get too complicated. Although I did want to ask you one more question if you don't mind. 

[JoeBorgione]

okay- what's your question?

[ShalinR]

So I wanted to create a custom tool using Python scripting but make the tool do a specific type of border symbology for a shapefile for any data. Would that be possible? I've head so much time spent doing this one specific thing, so I figure if I just created a tool for it, it would be faster and easier to get things done. 

[JoeBorgione]

Not sure what you mean by border symbology for a shapefile ,  but for the purpose of your assignment and to get a little experience in python and arcpy, I recommend sticking to something easy and straight forward.  BTW, you never have to ask to ask another question in this forum...  

[ShalinR]

What I meant was, let's say I joined a population table to a county tracts shapefile, and I wanted to outline the border of each of the different graduated color box (Red box represents 1,000 people, light red represents 800 people, etc.,) with dark borders for presentation. Instead of clicking on each box individually and changing symbology of its border to 1" thickness and black color, is it possible to run a tool that would import such graduated shapefile and you will be able to change the thickness of all of the graduated classes and color of the border at the same type with one click? Or is there already an option for it on ArcMap? 

[JoeBorgione]

I think you'd do that with a .lyr file; see Creating a layer symbology file—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop not arcpy.