Add Python .NET Support to ArcGIS Pro Conda

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7
10-24-2020 08:22 AM
Status: Open
Labels (2)
JoshuaBixby
MVP Esteemed Contributor

As useful as ArcPy has been over the years, and continues to be with ArcGIS Pro, the fact is it isn't nearly as robust as ArcGIS Pro SDK .  Instead of expecting Esri to add anything and everything in the Pro SDK to ArcPy, I would like to see Esri include a Python .NET wrapper in the ArcGIS Pro conda deployment.  Including a .NET wrapper for Python will open the door for users to do much more customization of ArcGIS Pro tools and scripts without having to install the wrapper themselves.  This is especially important for large organizations that have tens of thousands of PCs where customizing and managing Pro conda environments takes a non-trivial amount of time and effort.

My preference would be to have Esri add Python.NET | pythonnet.github.io , but I am open to other Python .NET wrappers.

7 Comments
ThomasBalstrøm

Hi,

I totally agree with you that it would be nice to have a Python .NET wrapper available in the Conda environment. Have you heard anything from Esri about your suggestion?

Kind regards,

Thomas

EricEagle

Absolutely, great idea, and another vote for pythonnet which is already well documented and a lot of third party utilities already rely on.

ThomasCrossman

Add my vote for Python.NET wrapper.  A fabulous idea.  What I worry about now, though, is that ArcGIS Pro 3.0 is going to drop support for .NET 4.x, replacing it with .NET 6.  The last I knew, Python.NET had not yet been updated to support .NET 6.  Has anyone heard anything about the Python.NET update timeline?

EricEagle

@ThomasCrossmanpythonnet 3.0 alpha appears to support .NET 6, so it's on the way.

https://github.com/pythonnet/pythonnet/releases referencing https://github.com/pythonnet/pythonnet/pull/1620

 

ThomasCrossman

@EricEagle - Thanks.  That is indeed good news ...... especially as I gather from here that ArcGIS Pro 3 is scheduled for release in mid-June.

ThomasBalstrøm

Sounds very good. Thank you.

Regards, Thomas

JoshuaBixby

Given that Pro 3.0 has been in development for many months, and Python.NET support for .NET 6 is very recent, Esri could/would not include Python.NET with Pro 3.0 even if they wanted.  It would be nice to see it sometime in the early Pro 3.x product releases.