Using the Results window

Whenever you execute a tool using its dialog box or in the Python window, information about the execution is written as a result in the Results window.

To open the Results window, click Geoprocessing > Results.

There are a number of useful things you can do with results in the Results window, such as

• View status of a tool executing in the background or on an ArcGIS Server.
• Open output files, such as .html or .txt files.
• Rerun a tool that was running in the background (or was waiting to run) when you exited ArcMap.
• Cancel a tool executing in the background or on an ArcGIS Server.
• Copy and paste, or drag and drop, a result into a model.
• Copy a Python code snippet that executes the tool for pasting into your Python script.
• Copy input and output datasets into the Python window or ModelBuilder.
• Reexecute a process that created a result, thereby creating a new result.
• Delete a result and its output datasets.
• Add a result's output to a map display.
• Review a result's processing messages.
• Review environment settings used during tool execution.
• Remove a result from the list of results, keeping the output datasets.

The Results window maintains information between application sessions. That is, you can retrieve information about a tool you executed weeks ago. Results are kept for a period of time as defined in the geoprocessing options. The default is to remove results older than two weeks.

Note:

• Results are not created for tools executed within a script or model. Only those tools executed using the tool dialog box or in the Python window are written to the Results window.
• When running a model tool from the tool dialog box outputs will only be added to the Results window for those outputs that are model parameters.

Each result contains, in order

• The output datasets and values
• The input datasets and values
• The environment settings used in tool execution
• All messages

Useful operations are found on shortcut menus, which you open by right-clicking a Current Session, Previous Sessions, Not Run, and an individual result. Each of these shortcut menus is described below.

Current Session shortcut menu

Delete All	Deletes all results in the Current Session list. All output datasets referred to by the results will be deleted, as well as any input feature or record sets (data created using interactive feature or row input). If you choose Delete All, a message box will open asking you if you're sure you want to delete all output data.
Remove All	Removes all result information from the list. No output data is deleted.

Previous Sessions shortcut menu

Remove All

Removes all results from the Previous Session list. No output data will be deleted.

Not Run shortcut menu

If you exit and save a map document while tools are running or pending, all running and pending tools will appear as a result beneath Not Run.

Remove All	Removes all results from the Not Run list. No output data will be deleted.
Re Run All	Executes all tools. The results are removed from Not Run and added to Current Session.

Result shortcut menu

Open	Opens the tool dialog box. The parameters in the dialog box will be populated with the input and output values of the result. Double-clicking a result also opens its dialog box.
Copy	Copies the result for pasting into a model. A copied result cannot be pasted into the Python window. Use Copy As Python Snippet instead.
Remove	Removes the result from the list. No output data will be deleted.
Rename	Renames the result. The default name is the tool name followed by the time and date.
Copy As Python Snippet	Copies Python code that executes the tool to the clipboard so you can paste it into your script. Below is an example of the copied Python code: Clip_analysis("E:/Example.gdb/streets","E:/Example.gdb/StudyArea","E:/Example.gdb/streets_Clip","#") After pasting the code into your script, you'll need to add the geoprocessor object to the method, as follows: arcpy.Clip_analysis("E:/Example.gdb/streets","E:/Example.gdb/StudyArea","E:/Example.gdb/streets_Clip","#")
Delete	Deletes all output datasets, as well as any input feature or record sets (data created using interactive feature or row input), and removes the result from the list. A message box will open asking you if you're sure you want to delete all output data.
Cancel	Cancels execution of the tool. Cancel is only available for tools currently executing in the background or on an ArcGIS Server.
Re Run	Executes the tool again. It is a shortcut for opening the dialog box with Open and clicking OK on the tool dialog box. This option is not available if the tool is currently executing.

If the result is based on an ArcGIS Server geoprocessing service task, the shortcut menu will have three additional choices.

Cancel	Cancels execution of the tool.
Get Data	Copies the data from the server to your computer. After copying, the status will either be <data in local temp location>, <data exceeds transfer limit>, or <data unavailable>.
Add Server Layer	Adds a map service containing the data to the table of contents

Learn more about working with ArcGIS Server geoprocessing services

Input or output dataset shortcut menu

Add to Display	Adds the dataset to the display. This choice is only available in applications that have a display, such as ArcMap.
Copy Location	Copies the path of the dataset into the clipboard for pasting into anything that accepts text, such as a tool dialog box, the Python window, or a text editor.

Note:

You can drag and drop datasets from the result into a tool dialog box or the Python window.

Note:

If your input or output dataset is named <data in local temp location>, the data resides in memory or in your system's temp folder. The data will not be deleted as long as you have an ArcMap layer that references the data. If you want to preserve the data, you should copy it from this temporary location to a known location. An easy way to do this is to use the Copy tool, dragging and dropping the dataset from the result into the input features parameter of the tool.

Learn more about preserving temporary data

Input or Output values shortcut menu

Copy	Copies the value into the clipboard for pasting into anything that accepts text, such as a tool dialog box, the Python window, or a text editor. Note: You cannot drag and drop the text of an input or output value.

Environments

Under Environments, you'll find environment settings that were in place when the tool was executed. Only nonempty (not blank) environment settings are listed. Note that environment settings that have no effect on tool execution will be listed.

There is no shortcut menu for environments or their settings.

Messages

Copy	Copies execution messages into the clipboard for pasting into anything that accepts text, such as a text editor.
View	Displays all messages in the Messages window.