Programming language Python for data processing

Geographic information systems belong the group of applications that process spatial data. Some spatial analyses are operated repetitively in the same way for different area or district. Therefore it is useful when the data processing can be run automatically by program extension designed especially for batch data processing. ArcGIS software offers a possibility to design the steps of data processing by data flow diagram in the graphic editor ModelBuilder. In some cases the data flow diagram which is designed in ModelBuilder component is not sufficient for all require tasks. In such cases, it is possible to automatically convert data flow diagram into the Python language and supplement the program code with other program constructions and commands. Some practical examples are presented in this article. All Python scripts were developed as a part of several research projects at Department of Geinformatics at Palacky University in the Czech Republic. This article is a sum of experience with scripting in Python for ArcGIS geoprocessor.