ArcToolbox GUI Behavior on Closing

[MikeMacRae]

I've been trying to figure out how the ArcToolbox GUI behaves when you close it after an error has occurred.

One of 2 things usually happen when you hit the close button after an error has occurred (keep in my I never have the 'Close this dialogue when completed successfully' option checked off):

• Sometimes it will close completely


• Other times it will close the print out dialogue window and return to the parameters dialogue with all the parameters still loaded.

The reason I am asking is, sometimes I am making quick updates to a script and I want to run the tool from the GUI. I find it annoying when it closes completely. I would prefer to see the print out dialogue close and revert to the parameters dialogue where the parameters are still loaded. It makes it easier to run quickly, then to have to go back and re-open the dialogue and add in your your parameters again after some quick updates and troubleshooting. I know you can go into the properties dialogue and hard code the parameters, but that's something I would prefer not to do it possible. Is there an option to change this somewhere or some sort of logic as to why it closes one way and not the other. It seem fairly random when it does it.

Thanks,
Mike

[DaveBarrett]

Hi Mike,

I've generally had it return to the dialog window as you have stated, although its a bit long winded I tend to use the results window to access previous dialogs. The only option I know of for keeping things in view on error is the option to keep the background geoprocessing messages up if an error occurs.

I'm not aware of anywhere this property can be set for the dialog.

Prob worth noting if you write the scripts as python toolboxes you will need to restart catalog or map as the tools are loaded on startup only not after each edit. Think you can get around this using the python reload built in but have not tried it yet.

Dave