Can MakeFeatureLayer Object be Passed into ExportReport Function Layer Parameter?

Question

I'm trying to pass an in memory layer object created from a feature class using Code:

arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management()

into the Code:

arcpy.mapping.ExportReport()

function. It's erroring out, so I think it's having trouble with the in memory feature layer (Does a feature layer have a.lyr extension?).

My code is:

Code:

arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management("SOILFC", "soil.lyr")
arcpy.mapping.ExportReport("soil.lyr", reportfilename, r"C:\Test_Outputs\ProjectReport1.xls")

I'm not sure if the mapping class needs an actual map document to work on, but I'm hoping not. I don't want to go through the process of creating a temp .mxd, setting a dataframe reference and then add in some layers somewhere just for the purpose of getting a layer object to create a report. I was just hoping I could create the report using in memory objects because the only thing I care about if the .xls report from the final output.

Answer 1

arcpy.management.MakeFeatureLayer doesn't make a layer file, it makes a layer in memory. ExportReport requires a layer object. Combining the two, you can do this:

# Make the layer
arcpy.management.MakeFeatureLayer("SOILFC", "soil_layer")

# Get reference to layer
lyr = arcpy.mapping.Layer("soil_layer")

# Do the magic part
arcpy.mapping.ExportReport(lyr, reportfilename, r"C:\Test_Outputs\ProjectReport1.xls")

# Remove layer from TOC and memory
del lyr
arcpy.management.Delete("soil_layer")

The missing part in your script is getting a layer object from the newly created Feature Layer.

Answer 2

MakeFeatureLayer makes an in_memory layer. When using that tool you dont supply an extension. A layer with an extension of .lyr is a layerfile on disk. Typically a layer file on disk is a pointer to data with symbology set.

Anyways... to answer your question, you want an arcpy.mapping.Layer for use with the export tool

Try this....(assuming you have a .LYR already created)

soil = arcpy.mapping.Layer(r"c:\path\to\layerFile\soil.lyr")
arcpy.mapping.ExportReport(soil, reportfilename, r"C:\Test_Outputs\ProjectReport1.xls")