Getting ready

In addition to providing access to tools, functions, and classes, ArcPy also provides several modules. Modules are purpose-specific Python libraries containing functions and classes. The modules include a Mapping module (arcpy.mapping), a Data Access module (arcpy.da), a Spatial Analyst module (arcpy.sa), a Geostatistical module (arcpy.ga), a Network Analyst module (arcpy.na), and a Time module (arcpy.time). To use the functions and classes included with each of these modules you must specifically import their associated libraries.

How to do it…

Follow these steps to learn how to use the functions and classes provided by the arcpy.mapping module:

Access to all the functions and objects available in the Mapping module is done in the same way.

How it works…

Each of the modules provided by ArcPy gives access to functionality that fills a specific purpose. For example, the ArcPy Mapping module provides access to functions that allow you to manage map documents and layer files. The functions and objects in this module all relate in some way to managing these files.