Programming ArcGIS with Python Cookbook - Second Edition

Getting a list of layers in a map document

Frequently, one of the first steps in a geoprocessing script is to obtain a list of layers in the map document. Once obtained, your script may then cycle through each of the layers and perform some type of processing. The mapping module contains a ListLayers() function, which provides the capability of obtaining this list of layers. In this recipe, you will learn how to get a list of layers contained within a map document.

Getting ready

The arcpy.mapping module contains various list functions to return lists of layers, data frames, broken data sources, table views, and layout elements. These list functions normally function as the first step in a multistep process, in which the script needs to get one or ...