Programming ArcGIS 10.1 with Python Cookbook

Updating layer properties

In the previous recipe, you learned how to update the symbology of a layer. As I mentioned, UpdateLayer() can also be used to update various properties of a layer, such as field aliases, query definitions, and others. In this recipe, you will use UpdateLayer() to alter various properties of a layer.

Getting ready

You can also use the UpdateLayer() function to update a limited number of layer properties. Specific layer properties, such as field aliases, selection symbology, query definitions, label fields, and others, can be updated using UpdateLayer(). A common scenario is to have a layer in many map documents that needs to have a specific property changed across all the instances of the layer in all map documents. To ...