Work Around for os.startfile Crashing arcmap

[BenjaminMittler]

Hi All,

I'm currently attempting to develop an addin that creates a KML from a layer within arcmap, and then opens that KML. All seems to be going well except that every time the tool runs it crashes arcmap. I am aware that this is because i am using the "os.startfile()" command. What possible workaround can i use to get this file to open at the end of my script.

Thanks,

Ben

*Not a python expert by any means

[ToddBlanchette]

Do you want to open the KML in your current MXD in ArcMap? Or using an outside program like Google Earth?

[BenjaminMittler]

Todd,

Google Earth, the file actually opens when my addin is run, it just crashes arcmap in the process of doing so.

Thanks,

Ben

[ToddBlanchette]

Ben,

Thanks for more info.  If you're using Windows, os.startfile() shouldn't be giving you any issues, and like you said, it starts Google Earth fine (if kml/kmz is associated with that program within windows as the default program).  Is there anything else in your code after the os.startfile() is called?

[KevinBell · Accepted solution]

Jason Schriener at ESRI got this work around for me.

Add this def:

def run_in_other_thread(function): #conflicts w/ os.startfile will crash arcmap.  this is a workaround

    # functool.wraps will copy over the docstring and some other metadata

    # from the original function

    @functools.wraps(function)

    def fn_(*args, **kwargs):

        thread = threading.Thread(target=function, args=args, kwargs=kwargs)

        thread.start()

        thread.join()

    return fn_

Call it like this:

startfile = run_in_other_thread(os.startfile)

startfile(theFilePath)

[BenjaminMittler]

Thanks Kevin, worked like a charm.

I actually came across the thread with this information while researching the problem and it ended up that i was just calling it wrong.

For all others running into this error in the future this seems to be the workaround.