Outputting results message from spatial statistics tool to text file using Python?

Question

I'm using the following tool in ArcGIS 10 - Calculate Distance Band from Neighbor Count (Spatial Statistics). I'm using a python script to execute this tool several times on different shapefiles:

 import arcpy
 arcpy.env.workspace = "c:/data"
 mindist, avgdist, maxdist = arcpy.CalculateDistanceBand_stats("Blocks1", 1, "EUCLIDEAN_DISTANCE")
 mindist, avgdist, maxdist = arcpy.CalculateDistanceBand_stats("Blocks2", 1, "EUCLIDEAN_DISTANCE")
 mindist, avgdist, maxdist = arcpy.CalculateDistanceBand_stats("Blocks3", 1, "EUCLIDEAN_DISTANCE")

At the moment, this outputs the 3 result values to the Results-Messages window in ArcMap 10, overwriting the past results each time. Is there any way I can write these values to a text file after each execution of the tool using python code. If possible I would like to run this on many shapefiles and write the output values to the same text file. If a text file isn't feasible, then anything that can store this information will suffice.

Answer 1

you can do this with some python bindings as here. You can further enhance the code.

from datetime import datetime
stime = datetime.now()
filename = "path/to/log_%s.txt" % (stime)
if not os.path.exists(filename ):
 os.makedirs(filename) 
f = open(filename, 'a')
f.write(stime + ' : ' + mindist, avgdist, maxdist)
f.close

beside this you can use python logging module too. more information here and here...

import logging
logger = logging.getLogger('myapp')
hdlr = logging.FileHandler('/var/tmp/myapp.log')
formatter = logging.Formatter('%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(message)s')
hdlr.setFormatter(formatter)
logger.addHandler(hdlr) 
logger.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
logger.error('We have a problem')
logger.info('While this is just chatty')

Result:

2003年07月08日 16:49:45,896 ERROR We have a problem

i hope it helps you...

• JPD: Thanks for your reply. I'm very new to python. Where in my script (above) would I put this, and do you think it would fit straight in, or would I need to change some things?
• urcm: you should read A quick tour of ArcPy here. no they are examples code which have to be revised before adding.
• JPD: Is there not a line of code that just puts 'ResultObject' from the tool into a table or similar?
• theJones: Is the info you want stored in the results window? help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/… If so do you still want a log file?