Access python toolbox input parameter - list of excel files

Question

I have a python toolbox I built with a tool which takes multiple excel files as an input parameter. The problem is I cannot figure out how to get the files or file names in order to import them in the execute block.

relevant code:

    def getParameterInfo(self):
    param0 = arcpy.Parameter(
        displayName = "Service Tap Placement output excels",
        name = "Excels",
        datatype = "DEFile",
        parameterType = "Required",
        direction = "Input",
        multiValue = True)
    param0.filter.list = ['xls', 'xlsx']

and

    def execute(self, parameters, messages):

    # from parameters
    excelList = parameters[0].values
    move = parameters[1].value
    myPath = parameters[2].valueAsText

things I've tried :

1) defining excelList as shown in the second code block, returns: [geoprocessing value object object at 0x28BFC848, geoprocessing value object object at 0x28BFC770, geoprocessing value object object at 0x28BFC3C8]

2) excelList = parameters[0].valueAsText, returns: C:\Workspace\TapResnap\testE_script\Results_ServiceTapPlacement\Results_nfp01.xls;C:\Workspace\TapResnap\testE_script\Results_ServiceTapPlacement\Results_nfp02.xls;C:\Workspace\TapResnap\testE_script\Results_ServiceTapPlacement\Results_nfp03.xls

Problem is I can't figure out how to access the objects (from try 1) as needed, I got close using Multivalue parameter as text in Python toolbox - reading in to imported module function but I'd like to avoid having to separate them out from one string (try 2) if possible (there must be an easier way), and obviously I'm not working with rasters (is there something similar for my case?). I also see some promise here, but I'm not fully understanding how to apply it to my situation.

3) adding "return excelList" to the execute block (just to be able to play with it in the python window, I'm actually trying to import them to arc tables) after using the same assignment as try 1, importing the toolbox, then setting a variable to the tool result in the python window: fileList = arcpy.[Tool]_Toolbox... but then I have the same problem as try 1, I'm unsure how to access the individual file values (in any way).

This is my first python toolbox experience, and I have (obviously) limited experience dealing with result objects and output parameters.

Answer 1

You're on the right track. From the value object returned by .values, you need to extract the actual value. There's a few ways that can be done:

excelList = [v.value for v in parameters[0].values] # returns unicode
excelList = map(str, parameters[0].values)

Or, (this is more useful for multi-column data):

vt = arcpy.ValueTable()
vt.loadFromString(parameters[0].valueAsText)
excelList = [vt.getTrueValue(i, 0) for i in xrange(vt.rowCount)] # returns unicode

Answer 2

For sake of completeness, an alternative is:

#Split on  semicolon and strip of any single quotes
#that ArcGIS for some reason wraps around filepaths with spaces
excelList = [xl.strip("'") for xl in parameters[0].valueAsText.split(";")]