{"id":443452,"date":"2019-02-26T08:52:12","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T16:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=443452"},"modified":"2019-03-18T11:20:43","modified_gmt":"2019-03-18T18:20:43","slug":"beginners-guide-to-python-in-arcgis-pro-part-1-why","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/uncategorized\/beginners-guide-to-python-in-arcgis-pro-part-1-why","title":{"rendered":"Beginner’s guide to Python in ArcGIS Pro, Part 1: Why?"},"author":8112,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[],"tags":[101302,122232,24341],"industry":[],"product":[36561],"class_list":["post-443452","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-get-started","tag-learn","tag-python","product-arcgis-pro"],"acf":{"short_description":"A Python intro for the GIS-savvy non-programmer. ","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Let\u2019s start with a disclaimer: I am not a programmer.\u00a0 Like many of you, my first real exposure to programming came\u00a0<\/span><\/span>as I entered the diverse world of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>GIS.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Working alongside programmers, I realized how much there was to gain from having a more direct line of communication with my computer<\/span><\/span>. So, I resolved to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>start\u00a0<\/span><\/span>teach<\/span><\/span>ing<\/span><\/span>\u00a0myself a bit of programming<\/span><\/span>:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0something approachable that would tie in to my ArcGIS Pro work.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, there\u2019s a perfect programming\u00a0language for my needs: Python.\u00a0If you\u2019re reading this, I suspect it might meet your needs, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":443522,"id":443522,"title":"python","filename":"python.png","filesize":12501,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/02\/python.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/uncategorized\/beginners-guide-to-python-in-arcgis-pro-part-1-why\/python","alt":"Cartoon Python snake","author":"8112","description":"","caption":"The Python language has nothing to do with the snake, but come on, who can resist this face?","name":"python","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":443452,"date":"2019-02-21 19:52:40","modified":"2019-02-21 19:55:49","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":390,"height":150,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/02\/python-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/02\/python.png","medium-width":390,"medium-height":150,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/02\/python.png","medium_large-width":390,"medium_large-height":150,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/02\/python.png","large-width":390,"large-height":150,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/02\/python.png","1536x1536-width":390,"1536x1536-height":150,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/02\/python.png","2048x2048-width":390,"2048x2048-height":150,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/02\/python.png","card_image-width":390,"card_image-height":150,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/02\/python.png","wide_image-width":390,"wide_image-height":150}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/docs.python.org\/2\/faq\/general.html#why-is-it-called-python"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

As a non-programming GIS user, maybe you\u2019ve\u00a0been interested in learning Python for a while but didn\u2019t know where to start. Or perhaps you\u2019ve never felt the need to learn to code \u2013 if that\u2019s the case, hear me out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This will be the first in a series of posts in which we\u2019ll work toward learning Python together.\u00a0You can think of it as a sort of grassroots, beginner-to-beginner introductory tour.\u00a0I\u2019ll draw from my own firsthand experience and the insights of\u00a0Esri\u00a0team members to help you streamline your own learning experience. Today, we\u2019ll discuss how and why you should learn Python, and why it doesn\u2019t have to be an intimidating process. In the next post, I\u2019ll outline the types of learning resources and how to use them. After that, I\u2019ll provide an introductory hands-on tutorial.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Why learn Python?<\/h2>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Python isn\u2019t a requirement to successfully use\u00a0ArcGIS Pro (I\u2019m going to talk about ArcGIS Pro a lot in this post, but the same goes for ArcMap).\u00a0Still, you may have found yourself yearning for more customization, or feel you\u2019re wasting time on long or repetitive workflows. In this case, a bit of programming knowledge can take you to that next level, especially when it comes to efficiency.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps you perform the same GIS workflows every day, month, or year. Maybe they take you a long time, or you\u00a0have to\u00a0shuffle through your notes to remember how to do certain things. With Python, you can write\u00a0scripts\u00a0that will save you from these headaches by automating your workflows.\u00a0And that\u2019s just the tip of the iceberg.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Python is the scripting language of choice for ArcGIS Pro<\/a>. It has its own module,\u00a0ArcPy\u00a0(where you\u2019ll find the Python translation of all your favorite\u00a0GIS functionalities). You can also run code directly in your project using Pro\u2019s built-in Python window and immediately see the results on a map. What\u2019s more, once you learn the basics of Python and start using the ArcPy module, things will start looking familiar. That\u2019s because, as a GIS user,\u00a0you already know the workflows Python is performing for you, and the tools it\u2019s employing.\u00a0<\/i>You\u2019ll just be using a new tool to complete these familiar tasks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, if you want to branch out later, having the basics of Python under your belt will be a huge advantage in numerous scenarios beyond GIS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Okay, but is this realistic?<\/h2>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

The short answer is \u201cyes,\u201d but I think it\u2019s important to debunk a myth about the learning process.\u00a0Has a programmer ever said something like this to you?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLearning Python is SO EASY! You could teach a [small child\/border collie\/sleeping person] how to program in Python.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please, take this sort of statement with several grains of salt. Don\u2019t feel bad if learning Python seems daunting\u00a0\u2013 and please don\u2019t give up for that reason! Python is easy to learn\u00a0for a programming language<\/i>. If you don\u2019t know how to program, you won\u2019t just be learning Python \u2013 you\u2019ll be learning the essentials of programming at the same time.\u00a0Still, learning Python on your own is a very realistic goal if you put in the effort. Thousands of people have gotten their start programming through Python.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0one of the best languages to start with for several reasons:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n