Creating a new Python toolbox

A Python toolbox (.pyt) a simple text file that can be created, viewed, and edited in any text editor such as Notepad or VI, or any Python IDE such as PythonWin.

The toolbox is created as a class named Toolbox. In the Toolbox class' __init__ method, properties of the toolbox are defined, including the alias, label, and description. The name of the toolbox is defined by the name of the .pyt. The tools property must be set to a list containing all tool classes defined in the toolbox.

Tip:

To ensure the Python toolbox is recognized correctly by ArcGIS, the toolbox class must remain named Toolbox.

By default, the Python toolbox template creates a stubbed-out tool named Tool. The template code used to create the Python toolbox is shown in the topic The Python toolbox template.

Steps:

1. In the Catalog window, right-click the folder in which you want to create the new Python toolbox, then click New > Python Toolbox.