Making button that calls Python script as command rather than script tool?

Question

I believe that in Arc9.3, commands could be created using VBA scripts. To add a custom command, you would navigate to Customize> Toolbars> Customize... and click UIControls. However, UIControls is not there in version 10.

I am creating two separate scripts for a map book project. One script will save the layout settings to a table, and the other will update the layout with settings from the same table. I want both of these scripts to be commands assigned to buttons in a toolbar. I created them as script tools, but whenever I click on them, they run the script as a geoprocessing tool. It brings up a progress window, and it takes about 10 times longer to execute than if I had run the code in the Python command line window. I don't want the progress window or the much longer execution time.

How can I make it so that the script isn't considered a "tool" and is instead a command similar to the Save button?

Answer 1

Within an Excel VBA macro, the following calls a Python script called test.py:

Sub test()
rsp = Shell(Environ$("COMSPEC") & " /c C:/test.py", vbNormalFocus)
End Sub

(Original source here) I've forgotten how to run an ArcGIS VBA module, but perhaps a similar line would work to call your python script.

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Another strategy that might work could be to compile your python script to an executable (.exe) or batch file (.bat) and call it then.

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I just saw another answer on gis.se that is more elegant:

Private Sub python_Click()
 Shell "C:\Python25\python.exe ""C:\rowcount.py"
End Sub

Answer 2

I'm a complete GIS newb, but I came across this in the documentation:

You can make your script tools run faster by running them in process. This topic describes in-process execution.