Custom Tools within ArcMap

ArcGIS, being the powerful program that it is, provides ample customization abilities, particularly with the creation of custom tools by way of Python scripts.  Tools are accessed by a user within the GIS Desktop interface via dialog boxes, which receive the user's input file locations, desired output location, and values for whatever parameters may be specified.  One of the handiest things about them, though, is the average user's potential to create a custom tool with a Python script, and easily format it to run within the ArcMap interface- potentially by GIS users of any and all skill levels.

A custom dialog window, such as this, looks fairly identical to the system provided tools within ArcGIS, but the process behind the user interface is a custom Python script.  One only need create a new toolbox in ArcMap, and go through the steps within the Add Script Wizard to specify the script's location, and the parameters required to run the tool.  After a few minor edits within the script itself- mainly replacing lines specifying file paths with GetParameter functions- the script can be run with any valid user-specified parameters.  

  
The Results window, which opens upon the script's execution and displays messages about the success or failure of the script, can be customized from within the source-script as well.  Print statements, used in the Python environment to print messages to the Interactive Window, are changed to AddMessage functions, which add output information to the Results window.  The above are the output messages from the custom script, modified to become a custom tool within ArcMap.  The messages specified to display upon successful completion are displayed here, and are replaced with the appropriate red-lettered warnings and notifications if there are any errors or exceptions encountered instead.