IGPDispatch object
Release 9.1 Last modified August 19, 2005	Print all topics in : "Scripting Object: Properties and methods"

IGPDispatch methods and properties exposed for scripting and command line usage. They do not exist as tools in any toolbox.

Scripting is the ability to use the geoprocessor functions from any number of current scripting environments, such as Python, VBScript, JScript, and Perl. A new ArcObjects component, the geoprocessor object, will be the main vehicle for exposing the geoprocessing functions to the scripting languages. It is an object that provides a single access point and environment for the execution of any geoprocessing tool in ArcGIS, including extensions. GPDispatch is a COM wrapper for the geoprocessor that supports scripting languages. IDispatch is a text communicator—that is, strings, or objects, are passed from the script to the geoprocessor and understood as commands (actions), and/or values. IDispatch is built into the geoprocessor and known as GPDispatch, making it possible for interpretive and macro languages to access the more than 400 available tools.

For further information about scripting, its uses within a GIS, which scripting language to use, as well as additional samples, see An overview of writing geoprocessing scripts.

A - F

Expression	Explanation
AddError	Adds a return message of severity=2 to the queue.
AddMessage	Adds a return message of severity=0 to the queue.
AddReturnMessage	Adds a message, from the function message queue, to the return queue.
AddToolbox	Gets the specified toolbox and exposes its functionality.
AddWarning	Adds a return message of severity=1 to the queue.
CheckExtension	Used to see if a license is available to be checked out for a specific type of extension.
CheckInExtension	Used to return the license to the License Manager so other applications may use it.
CheckOutExtension	Used to actually retrieve the license for a specific type of extension.
CheckProduct	Used to see which desktop licenses are available.
Command	Parses the specified command line as a string.
CopyParameter	Copies the selected parameter definition to the specified parameter list.
CreateObject	Copies the selected parameter definition to the specified parameter list.
Describe	Describes such properties as type, name, spatial reference, domains, versioning, etc., for DataElements such as FeatureClasses, Tables, GeoDatasets, CoverageFeatureClasses, Datasets, RelationshipClasses, Files, Layers, Workspaces, as well as GP objects such as TableViews and FeatureLayers.
Exists	Tests if the specified input exists and returns a boolean value.

G - L

Expression	Explanation
GetMessage	Gets the specified message descriptions that were returned.
GetMessages	Gets all message descriptions that were returned.
GetParameter	Gets the specified parameter, by its index position, from the list of parameters.
GetParameterAsText	Selects (by index) the specified parameter from the present list of parameters. Similar to the GetParam method, but returns a string.
GetReturnCode	For the specified message index, where the severity=2, the error code is returned.
GetSeverity	Returns the severity of the message of the given index (0=ok, 1=warning, 2=error).
GetSystemEnvironment	Gets the specified system environment variable.
InsertCursor	Used to insert rows into a table or feature class. This method will return a Dispatch enumeration object that will, in turn, hand out Dispatch row objects.
ListDatasets	Lists all datasets that fit the search criteria. Specifying search conditions (wildcard) and a feature type will limit the results.
ListEnvironments	Lists all environment settings that fit the search criteria. Specifying search conditions (wildcard) will limit the results.
ListFeatureClasses	Lists all feature classes from the selected workspace. Specifying search conditions (wildcard) and a feature type will limit the results.
ListFields	List all the fields in the specified table, feature class, or shapefile. Specifying search conditions (wildcard) and a field type will limit the results.
ListIndexes	List all the indexes in the specified table, feature class, or shapefile. Specifying search conditions (wildcard) will limit the results.
ListRasters	Lists all rasters from the selected workspace. Specifying search conditions (wildcard) and a feature type will limit the results.
ListTables	Lists all tables from the selected workspace. Specifying search conditions (wildcard) and a table type will limit the results.
ListToolboxes	Lists all toolboxes that fit the search criteria. Specifying search conditions (wildcard) will limit the results.
ListTools	Lists all tools that fit the search criteria. Specifying search conditions (wildcard) will limit the results.
ListWorkspaces	Lists all workspaces within the selected workspace. Specifying search conditions (wildcard) and a workspace type will limit the results.

M - R

Expression	Explanation
MaxSeverity	Sets the maximum severity.
MessageCount	Returns a numeric count of all the returned messages from the last executed command.
OverWriteOutput	Used to allow or not allow the overwriting of existing outputs.
ParameterCount	The number of parameters returned.
ParseFieldName	Truncates a portion of the specified field name.
ParseTableName	Truncates a portion of the specified table name.
ProductInfo	Used to report what the current product license is.
QualifyFieldName	Prefixes a field name string with the database.username, if required.
QualifyTableName	Prefixes a table name string with the database.username, if required.
RefreshCatalog	Refreshes the ArcCatalog tree view.
RemoveToolbox	Removes access to named toolbox for this current session.

S - Z

Expression	Explanation
SearchCursor	Establishes a cursor for searching through field rows. This method will return a Dispatch enumeration object that will, in turn, hand out Dispatch row objects.
SetParameter	Sets the specified parameter property. The parameter being set is selected from the existing parameter list by its index.
SetParameterAsText	Sets the specified parameter property by allowing a string input. The parameter being set is selected from the existing parameter list by its index.
SetProduct	Used to define the desktop license used by a script.
TemporaryMapLayers	The output(s) from a successfully executed function will be added to the active map layer, for the current session only. At the end of the session the layers will be removed from memory.
TestSchemaLock	Tests if a schema lock can be acquired for a table, feature class, or feature dataset. A number of tools require a schema lock on the input data because they alter the data’s schema. The Add Field tool is an example of such a tool. Scripts may want to test if a schema lock can be acquired on a dataset so unnecessary processing can be avoided. If a tool requires a schema lock and it cannot acquire one at the time of execution, an appropriate error message is returned. The method does not actually apply the schema lock.
Toolbox	Specify the toolbox for the current geoprocessing session.
UpdateCursor	Used to positionally update and delete rows in a table.
Usage	Displays the syntax for the specified function.
ValidateFieldName	Returns a valid field name based on name restrictions present in the output geodatabase.
ValidateTableName	Returns a valid table name based on name restrictions present in the output geodatabase.

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