arcgispro-cli 0.2.1

CLI tool for inspecting ArcGIS Pro session exports

ArcGIS Pro CLI

Make ArcGIS Pro sessions observable for AI agents and automation tools.

Two Components, Clear Roles

Component	Role	What it does
ProExporter Add-in	Context exfiltration	Exports session state from ArcGIS Pro to disk
arcgispro CLI	Query interface	Reads exported data and answers questions

The add-in exports. The CLI queries. Simple.

Quick Start

pip install arcgispro-cli
arcgispro install

That's it! The install command launches the add-in installer. Click "Install Add-In" and restart ArcGIS Pro.

How It Works

1. Open a project in ArcGIS Pro
2. Click Snapshot in the CLI ribbon tab → exports context to .arcgispro/
3. Query the exported context:

   cd /path/to/your/project
   arcgispro layers              # What layers do I have?
   arcgispro layer "Parcels"     # Tell me about this layer
   arcgispro fields "Parcels"    # What fields are in it?
   

CLI Commands

Setup Commands

Command	Description
arcgispro install	Install the ProExporter add-in
arcgispro uninstall	Show uninstall instructions
arcgispro status	Show export status and validate files
arcgispro clean	Remove generated files
arcgispro open	Open folder or select project

Query Commands

Command	Description
arcgispro project	Show project info
arcgispro maps	List all maps
arcgispro map [name]	Show map details (default: active map)
arcgispro layers	List all layers
arcgispro layers --broken	List broken layers
arcgispro layer <name>	Show layer details + field schema
arcgispro fields <name>	Show just the field schema
arcgispro tables	List standalone tables
arcgispro connections	List data connections
arcgispro context	Print full markdown summary

All query commands support --json for machine-readable output.

Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• ArcGIS Pro 3.x
• Python 3.9+

Development

To build the add-in from source, you'll need:

• Visual Studio 2022 with ArcGIS Pro SDK extension
• .NET 8 SDK

# Clone and install CLI in dev mode
git clone https://github.com/danmaps/arcgispro_cli.git
cd arcgispro_cli/cli
pip install -e .

# Build add-in in Visual Studio
# Open ProExporter/ProExporter.sln
# Build → Build Solution (Release)

License

MIT

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Using with AI Agents

This tool is designed to make ArcGIS Pro sessions observable for AI coding assistants.

What Gets Exported

When you click Snapshot in ArcGIS Pro, the .arcgispro/ folder contains:

.arcgispro/
├── meta.json              # Export timestamp, tool version
├── context/
│   ├── project.json       # Project name, path, geodatabases
│   ├── maps.json          # Map names, spatial references, scales
│   ├── layers.json        # Full layer details with field schemas
│   ├── tables.json        # Standalone tables
│   ├── connections.json   # Database connections
│   └── layouts.json       # Print layouts
├── images/
│   ├── map_*.png          # Screenshots of each map view
│   └── layout_*.png       # Screenshots of each layout
└── snapshot/
    └── context.md         # Human-readable summary

Claude Code / Copilot CLI / Gemini CLI

These tools can read files and run commands in your working directory. Navigate to your ArcGIS Pro project folder and start your AI session:

cd /path/to/your/project
claude   # or: copilot, gemini

Example prompts:

What layers are in this project?
> AI runs: arcgispro layers

What fields are in the Parcels layer?
> AI runs: arcgispro fields "Parcels"

Which layers have broken data sources?
> AI runs: arcgispro layers --broken

Give me the full project context
> AI runs: arcgispro context

Look at the map screenshot and describe what you see
> AI reads: .arcgispro/images/map_*.png

Tips for Best Results

1. Click Snapshot in Pro before starting your AI session - ensures context is fresh

2. Ask naturally - the CLI commands map to common questions:

   • "What layers do I have?" → arcgispro layers
   • "Tell me about the Parcels layer" → arcgispro layer Parcels
   • "What's the schema?" → arcgispro fields Parcels

3. Use --json for programmatic access - AI can parse structured output:

   arcgispro layers --json
   arcgispro layer "Parcels" --json
   

4. Check images for visual context - map screenshots help AI understand spatial data

Custom Agent Integration

The JSON files are designed for programmatic access:

import json
from pathlib import Path

context_dir = Path(".arcgispro/context")
layers = json.loads((context_dir / "layers.json").read_text(encoding="utf-8-sig"))

for layer in layers:
    print(f"{layer['name']}: {layer.get('featureCount', 'N/A')} features")
    for field in layer.get('fields', []):
        print(f"  - {field['name']} ({field['fieldType']})")