Controlling Categories in Script Validation Tools - Expanding Groups By Default

Question

The validation tab in your script tool properties allows you to put parameters in categories. The help states:

Put parameters in different categories. Categories are expandable window shades with a collection of parameters.

enter image description here

I am using the categories to organize my parameters, so I don't care about the expandable/collapsible feature; it just adds a lot of time to the user. This is all within a normal toolbox, not a script toolbox. v10.1

Does anyone know how to have these categories expanded by default?

Here is my only validation code. I am only utilizing categories. The other parts are the default.

def initializeParameters(self):
 """Refine the properties of a tool's parameters. This method is
 called when the tool is opened."""
 self.params[0].category = "General"
 self.params[1].category = "General"
 self.params[2].category = "Inudaciones"
 self.params[3].category = "Cienegas"
 self.params[4].category = "DrenajesPrincipal"
 self.params[5].category = "DrenajesSensillos"
 self.params[6].category = "Inudaciones"
 self.params[7].category = "Cienegas"
 self.params[8].category = "DrenajesPrincipal"
 self.params[9].category = "DrenajesSensillos"
 return

• PolyGeo: Can you include a link to the Help that you mention, and also state the version of ArcGIS that you are using, please?

Answer 1

This isn't possible in python, but you can by using a custom stylesheet.

1. Copy "C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\Desktop10.2\ArcToolbox\Stylesheets\MdDlgContent.xsl" to the same folder as your script.

2. Edit line 467 to remove STYLE="display:'none';", i.e. change:

   <DIV ID="{PropertyGroupName}" STYLE="display:'none';" onclick="window.event.cancelBubble = true;">
   

   to

   <DIV ID="{PropertyGroupName}" onclick="window.event.cancelBubble = true;">
   

3. Then in your script tool properties, set the stylesheet property to your edited.xsl.

   enter image description here

• Alex Tereshenkov: how on this green earth would you find out this? I am flabbergasted. This is not so well documented!
• user2856: @Alex Modifying the stylesheet to customize a tool has been known about for a while. There's some old documentation here resources.esri.com/help/9.3/arcgisdesktop/com/gp_toolref/… and a few questions here qnd on the Esri Geonet forum. Not sure if there's more up to date documentation. Once you know where to look, it's just a matter of figuring out what html/css needs changing.
• Alex Tereshenkov: Sure, but it would take many trial & error attempts before being able to accomplish the task. Wish we had more updated docs on that... Thanks for posting the answer, absolutely brilliant.
• user2856: @Rex no, not using the xsl transform method. The categories are passed in reordered to begin with. I suggest the simple method of numbering your categories - self.params[0].category = "1. General" and self.params[2].category = "2. Inudaciones" etc...
• user2856: @ATCH_torn possibly but not easily. The category and non-category parameters are both styled in loops so you'd need to really customise the xsl rather than just changing one bit.