Openness with Python

In case someone would be interested to try openness with python (using pythonnet) I wrote a basic example on github:

https://github.com/Maroder1/TIA-openness

Update 20.01.2020: 

Created a repo with more functionality demonstrated (compile, export/import networking)

https://github.com/Maroder1/Openness_examples_python

Recommandation: develop using Jupyter notebook

Openness in Python sound more friendly. Happy idea.

Do you think using PowerShell may be an option too. PowerShell would be natural for managing files and Windows. More friendly than using C#. No compile needed. PowerShell script interpreted by PowerShell app.

You try out OpennessScripter for lighter weight coding option.

I don’t have any experience with Powershell so I think someone else would be more qualified to answer that.

As for opennesscripter, it is a nice tool, but you won’t have the full power to do absolutely anything you want, like you will have when using openness together with a full blown programming language. 

An example is  if you want to generate a project from excel (using python) you would have a smooth way by using the pandas package.

Protip: I highly recommend to develop using Jupyter notebook. That will save you  a lot of time as you won’t have to run the entire script to test new functions.

 ATT: JK_NO

Your suggestion and demo that builds on PythonNet works very well. I have followed your suggestion with installing the run environment that uses MiniConda. Also a brilliant suggestion.

Some small changes to the code example is added in the attachment. Changes are:

• Change hardware type for station 1
• Save project
• Close project
• Disconnect from the session / Dispose the object.

Other issue is for error handling. Can TRY be used in Python to open the project?

JK_NO

In case someone would be interested to try openness with python (using pythonnet) I wrote a basic example on github:

https://github.com/Maroder1/TIA-openness

Amateur tip: vscode can easily be used to invoke the Python script to run in the Anaconda run environment.

Glad to hear you have it up and running 

Attaching

Absolutely, as you are wokring with the .dll directly you can do everything and even more than the scripter can do. An example attaching:

 ATT: JK_NO

Surprisingly generous & solid follow-up! Thanks giving reply.

There is fear for following blindly other's suggestions. Luxury #1 would be seeing some animation of what Jupyter supplies to helping this topic. Luxury #2 if Gtihub visitor sees how much data MB need using. >500MB is big usage for my metered internet. But for me is saying "thank you" for suggestions.

Trying to understand which API commands are available and the format is a struggle. Helper program "Openness Explorer" is not working 100%. Descriptions in manual is also inside TIA help. Too much focus to C# code makes me dizzy.

How to realise the members of the object? Does Jupyter supply this information? That would be very much helping.

JK_NO

Glad to hear you have it up and running 

Attaching

Absolutely, as you are wokring with the .dll directly you can do everything and even more than the scripter can do. An example attaching:

 

processes = tia.TiaPortal.GetProcesses() # Making a list of all running processes

process = processes[0]                   # Just taking the first process as an example

mytia = process.Attach()

Note that this is hard coded to attach to the first process. Processes will be a list containing [n] elements. You can e.g. print it and then choose which index [] you would like to attach to,

Try

This is a big topic ( you can google some "python try except", however a basic example:

try:

    myproject = mytia.Projects.Create(project_path, project_name)

except Exception as e:

    print(e)

 The example will throw an exception in case the project you try to create allready exists

Jupyter

 As allready mentoned in previos post, I highly recomment Jupyter. I guarantee you will love it I updated the README.md in the GitHub repo with instructions on how to install, and how to add Conda environments (kernels) to Jupyter.

Jupyter will unfortiuantly not help you any further with information about the actual .dll as it is a generic editor, commonly used especally within data science/ML/AI. 

The thing is that it is interactive, meaning that you code in different cells(of your own choice), and then run them one at the time.

Example: 

Cell 1: Do all imports

Cell 2: Start TIA

Cell 3: Create project

Cell 4: Add HW

Cell 5 Set IP

Lets say you are trying to figure out how to set ip address when programming in a normal editor, then you would have to run the entire script each time you would like to verify your IP adress implementation. As you know: this takes a lot of time, and when trying to figure out openness you will need many attemps for such.

This is where the magic of jupyter comes: back to the lists of cells above: you run them in order, and when you come to cell 5: in case it fails, you can just rewrite it and run it again, without the need of rerunning cell 1-4.  

Maybe better illustrated in the following gif: http://www.ccri.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/JupyterAnimated.gif  

Note about the gif: instead of cikcing the run icon all the time, just press shift+enter. 

Not sure if above was understandable? Thing is that it is perfect for openness since you will spend alot of time working on  a "single line" of code to make it work wihtout needing to run everything that allready works again and again. 

As for understading the API.

You allready have the answers:

- Openness helper

- Documentation/help file

- Also look at the provided examples ( I just open the .cs file in notepad++ and search for what I need to get a clue)

- Most timportantly: try try try and try, with jupyter it is extreeemly quick: Eventually you will figure it out. And the more you figure our the easier it will become as you start to figure out the API.

About having Openness API autocomplete for Python in vscode

A Github project called "ironpython-stubs" shows hope to create additional autocomplete phrases for Intellisense. The module is executed under IronPython to generate multiple Python shell programs. These represent the DLL for the Openness API.

"ironpython-stubs" does function. But too many C# structures are skipped over. For example the whole "Siemens.Engineering.TiaPortal" branch is not there. But "Siemens.Engineering.HW" branch is there.

About executing code in Jupyter

This is very helpful as you stated. The attached Python file was exported for a Jupyter session. The program can decide to activate a project:
(1) Search and activate an already open TIA Portal project
(2) Attempt to open the already existing project
(3) Create a new one if not already exist.

The "Siemens.Engineering.TiaPortal.Projects[0]" element in the array was the biggest breakthrough.

I wish OpennessScripter could detect how to open a project like this Python script does.

Thank you for the tip regarding intellisense!

Have you also tried the openness explorer? https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/ww/en/view/109760816 

Something else that might can be useful: In most cases you can access the API just like you do with C#, but sometimes the syntax is a little bit different:

C#: