Understanding Layers files with same name after MakeFeatureLayer and SaveToLayerFile in ArcPy?

Question

I am trying to convert several shapefiles (in folder G:\desktop\Project\lyr) into layer files using this python code:

import arcpy,os
from arcpy import env

env.workspace = r"G:\desktop\Project\lyr"
env.overwriteOutput = True
for files in arcpy.ListFeatureClasses():
    filesPath = arcpy.Describe(files).catalogPath
    arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management( filesPath,"lyrName")
    arcpy.SaveToLayerFile_management("lyrName",os.path.splitext(filesPath)[0] + ".lyr")

the code work fine, and all the shapefiles converted into layer files with the same name of the shapefiles:

But when I load those layers files into the MXD file, all the layers have the same name, whereas I expected each layer will have a specific name:

I really don't understand what am I doing wrong.

Answer 1

Your MakeFeatureLayer line names all your layers as "lyrName". The second parameter of that tool needs to be given values that are unique for each layer.

If you don't uniquely name your layers, you have no idea what ArcGIS will do with requests to access a layer by name.

import arcpy,os 
from arcpy import env 

env.workspace = r"G:\desktop\Project\lyr"
env.overwriteOutput = True
for files in arcpy.ListFeatureClasses(): 
    filesPath = arcpy.Describe(files).catalogPath
    lyrName = os.path.splitext(filesPath)[0]
    arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(filesPath,lyrName)
    arcpy.SaveToLayerFile_management(lyrName,lyrName + ".lyr")

There is no correspondence between the source file name, layer name, and layerfile name except as you declare them.