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With the upcoming release of ArcGIS Pro and the eventual retirement of Desktop and ArcObjects does it make more sense to start new customizations in python or continue to use ArcObjects/addins for the time being?

I have a new project about to start that will involve a custom toolbar for desktop with about 10 custom editing tools. Previously I have always carried out such a project in .NET and ArcObjects. But now I wonder:

  1. Is the functionality now there to do this in python (At ArcGIS 10.1)?
  2. If I continue to use ArcObjects what is a resonable expectation on the toolbar life expectancy?

The current editing environment is ArcGIS desktop 10.1 and is likely to stay that way for the next 1 - 2 years.

PolyGeo
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Dowlers
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  • "release of ArcGIS Pro and the eventual retirement of Desktop and ArcObjects", do you have any resource stating this? – artwork21 Jul 31 '14 at 17:59
  • read the same quote...just can't track it down now –  Jul 31 '14 at 18:09
  • Based on conversations with various ESRI personal at the last Dev summit but no ESRI hasn't officially announced this as far as I know. I did say eventually. I think there is a consensus that this is what is happening though. I enjoyed the discussion here: https://geonet.esri.com/polls/1095 – Dowlers Jul 31 '14 at 18:20
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    You can access ArcObjects via Python, and a search will give you the details. That said it would be a bit early for ArcObjects to be discontinued with the advent of Pro. With no formal announcement I think you're safe for awhile, but then I'm not sure the timeline you're thinking of? – Sleep6 Jul 31 '14 at 18:22
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    The python module does not access all the objects that arcobjects do, so I would be surprised if they discontinue arcobjects without opening those objects up somewhere else. – artwork21 Jul 31 '14 at 18:28
  • thanks @Sleep6 and artwork21, that's what I'm trying to get an handle on. The editing customizations are reasonably complex, requiring editor extensions etc, and if python addins don't offer this then I'll have to stick with ArcObjects. On the other hand I don't want to write ArcObjects code just to have to rewrite it again in 3 or 4 years if I can avoid it. – Dowlers Jul 31 '14 at 18:37
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    I think the answer to 1 is that ArcObjects is much more suited to build an editing add-in for ArcMap than Python at 10.1, and the answer to 2 is however long your users continue to use ArcMap rather than ArcGIS Pro for editing, but overall I think your question is either too broad (has two distinct questions) or too likely to generate opinions on when ArcGIS Pro will have sufficient functionality to fully supersede ArcMap. – PolyGeo Aug 06 '14 at 00:38
  • Thanks everyone for your reply's. To summarize what I've learned from you and research on my own: 
    1. .NET/ArcObject addins are still more flexible, especially for tools requiring a GUI interface.
2. Python addins are quite advanced, allows editor extensions and events. Ccan also call ArcObject libs if necessary, don't handle GUI objects (at least that I can see).
3. ArcGIS pro not so clear. ArcGIS Pro has its own API, not ArcObjects, but it will also handle customizations through the python addin model. At least that is my reading of this excellent response by Jim McKinney.
    – Dowlers Aug 19 '14 at 16:24
  • http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/66438/what-are-esris-new-arcgis-for-professionals-and-arcgis-pro Taking into account all of this from here on in I'm going to use the python addin model as much as possible in ArcGIS Desktop and hope that these addins will translate to ArcGIS Pro. For addins requiring a lot of GUI stuff I'll stick with ArcOjects for now and rewrite down the line when my users get off of Desktop or ESRI retire it. – Dowlers Aug 19 '14 at 16:25

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