create shape file from csv file with python

Question

I am working on a really big script right now where I have a csv file that I have removed rows and columns from, and edited the headers. I need to create one big shapefile for the entire csv file then create individual shape files for the units under one of the headers. I thougt the best way to do this would be to use arcpy.MakeXyEventLayer() , I saw in an arcgis sample script to then use arcpy.GetCount() for the output file of the xyEveveLayer, then arcpy.SaveToLayerFile_management() and arcpy.FeatureClassToShapefile_ conversion , but when I run the script only my csv file is getting edited and there is no layer in the output file. Is there a step I am missing or should this be making my shape.

this is the few lines of code I have used after all of he csv file editing to do what is described above:

    outLyr = sys.arg[3] # shapefile layer output name
    XYLyr.newLyr(csvOut, lyrOutFile, spRef, sys.argv[4], sys.argv[5]) # x coordinate column; y coordinate column
    print arcpy.GetCount_management(lyrOutFile)
    csv2LYR.saveLYR(lyrOutFile, curDir)

Answer 1

arcpy.SaveToLayerFile_management does not save data to a shapefile or any other kind of featureclass. It only creates a .lyr file, which points to a data source and renders it with saved symbology, etc. You can use arcpy.FeatureClassToShapefile_conversion to create the shapefile from the in-memory feature layer created with arcpy.MakeXyEventLayer . Help for that tool is here .