Using the output of a tool as an input to another tool
There will be many occasions when you will need to use the output of one tool as an input to another tool. This is called tool chaining. An example of tool chaining could involve buffering a streams layer and then finding all residential properties that fall within the buffer. In this case, the Buffer tool would output a new layer, which would then be used as an input to the Select by Location tool or one of the other overlay tools. In this recipe, you will learn how to obtain the output of a tool and use it as input to another tool.
Getting ready
The Buffer tool creates an output feature class from an input feature layer using a specified distance. This output feature class can be stored in a variable, which can then be used as an input to another tool, such as the Select Layer by Location tool. In this recipe, you will learn how to use the output from the Buffer tool as an input to the Select Layer by Location tool to find all schools...
