Docs home

ArcPy toolbox utilities

ArcSmith documentation

ArcSmith is a Python library for building ArcPy toolboxes. It covers parameter state management, field mapping, workspace setup, and layer output through five focused modules.

Getting started →

---

• arcsmith.param

  ---

  Named helpers for updateParameters. Parameter state detection, cascade resets, dropdown population, and controlling groups of dependent parameters.

  Reference sheet

• arcsmith.lyr

  ---

  Add layers to a map with optional .lyrx symbology, apply symbology to existing layers, retrieve or remove layers by name or source.

  Reference sheet

• arcsmith.ws

  ---

  Create the output geodatabase and its parent folder in one call. Route intermediate outputs to memory or scratch GDB with a single flag.

  Reference sheet

• arcsmith.fc

  ---

  Build SQL WHERE clauses with automatic delimiting and quoting. Export filtered subsets, copy with field and row filters, validate geometry, and compute area.

  Reference sheet

• arcsmith.flds

  ---

  Build field mappings, keep or drop fields when copying, standardize blank values, and list column names or unique values for dropdown population.

  Reference sheet

Reference

Function references

All functions listed alphabetically within each module.

arcsmith.param

Named helpers for updateParameters. Covers parameter state detection, cascade resets, dropdown population, and controlling groups of dependent parameters.

Function	Description
cascade_clear	Clear downstream parameters the moment an upstream value changes
cascade_populate	Assign a value to downstream parameters when an upstream value changes
checkbox_dependence	Show, hide, and seed parameters controlled by a checkbox
drop_populate	Fill a parameter's dropdown list
dynamic_dropdown	Enable and disable parameter groups based on a dropdown selection
state	Translate altered + hasBeenValidated into a single readable state string
to_path	Resolve a feature class or layer parameter to its catalog path

---

arcsmith.lyr

Add layers to a map with optional .lyrx symbology, apply symbology to existing layers, and retrieve or remove layers by display name or data source path.

Function	Description
add	Add a data source to a map as a new layer, with optional symbology and display name
apply_lyrx	Apply .lyrx symbology to layers already in the map, matched by name or source
get_lyr	Retrieve layers from the map TOC by display name or data source path
remove	Remove layers from the map TOC by display name or data source path

---

arcsmith.ws

Create the output geodatabase and its parent folder in one call. Route intermediate outputs to memory or scratch GDB by flipping a single flag.

Function	Description
init_gdb	Create a file geodatabase, creating the parent folder if needed
temp_space	Return a workspace path for intermediate outputs, either memory or scratch GDB

---

arcsmith.fc

Build SQL WHERE clauses with automatic field delimiting and value quoting. Export filtered subsets, copy with combined field and row filters, validate geometry types, and compute polygon area.

Function	Description
build_where	Build a SQL WHERE clause for a single field, handling delimiters and quoting automatically
copy_w_fields	Copy a feature class with optional field and row filtering in a single call
export_where	Export a filtered subset of a feature class using a WHERE clause
get_area	Return the area of a polygon feature class with optional unit conversion
to_gdb	Copy a feature class into a geodatabase
validate_geom_type	Check whether a feature class has an expected geometry type

---

arcsmith.flds

Build field mappings, keep or drop fields when copying a feature class, standardize blank values across string fields, and list column names or unique values for dropdown population.

Function	Description
build_field_map	Build a FieldMappings object retaining or dropping specified fields
clean_blanks	Standardize blank-like values in string fields to a single canonical value
list_cols	Return the field names present in a feature class
unique_values	Return the unique values or value combinations present in one or more fields