what python editors do you use for arcpy

zhongying_gan · ‎08-10-2021

Hello. I'm using ArcGIS Pro. I'm doing a project and I would like to be able to replicate my results in the future. Therefore, I would like to use python to run commands in ArcGIS Pro, so that with all the codes saved in a file I could replicate the results in the future.

I've already installed anaconda on my laptop. I used Spyder that comes with anaconda and when I imported arcpy, the error message says "No module named 'arcpy'". Therefore, I followed the following blog to install spyder through ArcGIS Pro: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-blog/installing-spyder-ide-for-arcpro/ba-p/901923. However, when I ran it, a console window showed up. Some messages quickly appeared and disappeared. I could only capture part of the message (spyder.png). I was unable to run Spyder. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling Spyder through ArcGIS Pro. But that doesn't help. It shows in ArcGIS Pro that the version of Spyder ArcGIS Pro downloaded for me is 3.3.6 (spyder2.png). I went to anaconda and downgraded my python to 3.3.6, but I was still not able to import arcpy.

After all this I sort of giving up on using Spyder to import arcpy. I was wondering for those experienced users of python in ArcGIS Pro, what python editors do you use? And how should I make the python editor able to import arcpy?

Thank you. Any comments are appreciated.

JoshuaBixby · ‎08-12-2021

I used to be in the PyCharm camp, but lately I have been using VS Code. VS Code isn't quite as robust with debugging as PyCharm, but it is a solid IDE. Plus, I use VS Code for other development, so I prefer to use one IDE if I can instead of multiple ones.

Anonymous User · ‎10-27-2022

I've bee struggling to get any editor to work with Pro these days (Pro 3.02, Python 3.9). I was happy with PyCharm for a number of years, and now every time Pro updates, I think, PyCharm breaks ('no module named arcpy'). I tried to move to Spyder and had the same results. Now I have multiple environments, numerous installations of Python, reinstalled everything a few times. My hard drive is a confusing mess and I'm going back to IDLE, which I never really liked. It's the only one that consistently works with Pro.

If anyone can point me to documentation that would help me clean this all up, I'd appreciate it. I'm ready to delete everything I have and start over. Part of my problem is that I really don't understand how I have all these different environments, one of which finally worked with PyCharm yesterday but doesn't today.

Thanks!

Pam