Batch buffer with Python in ArcGIS 10

I have some feature classes (7 feature classes) and I want to batch buffer in ArcGIS 10. I don't know how can I buffer at once. Please help me.

Answer

To buffer several features, you need to use some control structure. A technique I have found very useful is to store all of the shapefiles you are using in one folder, then loop through everything that is a shapefile. I do this using the glob module, as follows:

# import modules
import arcpy, glob

# folder where shapefiles are stored
folder = 'C:/myfiles/'


# loop through all shapefiles
for shapefile in glob.glob( folder + '*.shp' ):
     arcpy.Buffer_analysis( shapefile, "C:/output/" + shapefile[-8:-4] + "buffer.shp" "100 Feet", "FULL", "ROUND", "LIST", "Distance")

(See ArcGIS help here for more details)

I'm using an awkward way of naming the buffered file here (shapefile[-8:-4]); a better way is to set the workspace using something like arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data".