Python and ESRI (GIS)

[Robert Brewer]

Tim Churches wrote:
> It seems that Python skills are now highly desirable for GIS 
> people using ESRI 
> products - and ESRI has a major slice of the GIS software 
> market. ESRI seems to be 
> positioning Python as a replacement for its own proprieatry 
> scripting language 
> (Avenue)? Is that correct?

Probably. I just took an ArcView I class last week from GeoMorphIS;
while the (very competent) lecturer lectured, I played with Python 2.1
installed on the desktop provided ;)

ArcView is the stripped-down version of ArcEdit, the stripped-down
version of ArcInfo, the premiere ESRI GIS client. All of these packages
use a central scripting tool called ArcToolbox for *all* scripting, from
geo DB's to the client software itself. The object model is pretty
complete. It is my understanding that any of those scripts can be
written in Python. None of the defaults were, however.

So there's that anecdote. Plus, whenever we mention to anyone from ESRI
or their partners that I write everything in Python at work, their ears
perk up *noticeably*. "Ooooh, so you use Python...? Cool... You're using
pygarmin to push and pull GPS data already? Let me send over one of our
engineers..."

Buzz is fun. :) I have a trial copy of ArcView if you have any specific
questions.


Robert Brewer
MIS
Amor Ministries
fumanchu at amor.org