GIS 4102: GIS Programming Module 11

Module 11: Sharing Tools

This week’s lecture covered methods for distributing tools, considering licensing issues when distributing tools, using a standard folder structure for sharing tools, working with paths, finding data and workspaces, creating a geoprocessing package, embedding (importing) script tools, setting tool password protection, and creating documentation for tools.

This week’s assignment involved editing a script tool, embedding the script into the tool, and sharing it. The assignment included:

·         Creating variables with sys.argv[] expressions (instead of GetParametersAsText()) to capture parameters from the tool dialog.

·         Editing the tool’s Item Description to add documentation that shows in the tool dialog.

·         Embedding (importing) the script into the tool.

·         Setting a password to prevent an unauthorized user from viewing, editing or exporting the script.

·         Sharing the Toolbox (without the script as it was embedded into the tool).

Below are screenshots of the Tool’s dialog window in ArcMap and successful map result after running the Tool.