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Installation and Setup

The .NET integration is currently compatible and tested with Python Shell integration requires Python releases 3.7 - 3.11. While earlier and newer versions may work with most features, they are not officially tested or supported.onwards and the installation of Python.NET.

Setup Steps:

    1.    Install Python and Python on .NET in the machines where you run the application and on those using the Solution Designer.
    2.    Configure the Solution Settings to select the appropriate Python shell folder.

Each solution can specify its own Python interpreter, facilitating the development and maintenance of different solutions that may require different Python versions.

Expand
title Click here to expand on how to Install Python
You can download Python here. Check the Use admin privileges checkbox, and select Customize installation. Image Added During the installation of the Python Engine, we strongly recommend choosing select the option to “Install for all users”. s If You install Python under your local user, you may have issues when running the solution as a service, or when deploying the solution for production. Tip This image may be slightly different for your Python version, but always enable the options equivalent to: Add Python.exe to PATH Especially in the production server. Install with admin rights to all users, Customize the installation to installation in the Program Files, instead of Users folder Once you've downloaded, open the command prompt as an ADMINISTRATOR and type “pip install pythonnet”. For this work, you'll need internet access. If internet is not available, download and install manually. Once Python.NET has been installed, you can start using Python in your solution. Image Added Note Note: For Python versions above 3.12, Pythonnet is not available. For more information, visit their documentation.

Once you've installed Python,  you can take a look at our Python demo with code examples.

→ Learn more at Python Example.

Using Python in the Solution

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The Python code cabe used at:

The Python Example illustrates how to use the Python and .NET languages for the Scripts.

This section presents a summary of that information, listing the modules in the solution where Python code can be used.

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Scripts Tasks and Classes

• Scripts / Tasks: Event Script-Tasks: event driven or periodical tasks, running in on the server computer. . They can be written in Python, C# or VB.NET.
• Scripts / Script Classes: library of methods and  functions functions that can be used in on both server and client machines, and by  Python, . They can be written in Python, C# or VB.Net CodeNET.

Displays

CodeBehind and Graphical Elements 

The Code Behind for the displays can be written in C#, VB.NET or JavaScript, not Python directly. But from the CodeBehind you can call tasks and methods, which can be written in Python. 

Shell Integration

• Shell Integration: allows you to execute Python code from external files.

This integration allows you to execute Python code from external files. Just create a Script Task with the following code:

Code Block
language py title Steel Shell Integration example
# This code call the execution of the external file using Python Shell # with the optional args defined in this initial section # # The macro _ExecutionPath_ is replaced by the path where the solution is set to execute # Replace that macro by a specific path, or user other built-in macros as nedded # arg1 = @Tag.Tag1 arg2 = @Tag.Tag2 result = TK.ExecutePythonShell("_ExecutionPath_ExternalSum.py", [arg1, arg2]) @Tag.Result = result

Tip
title Python Shell Version and Tests
Any Python

Code Editor within the Designer

Designer Python Code Editor

Code Editor User Interface

The code editor

can be accessed through Scripts / Code Editor.

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Testing the

code

When the editor is used to edit Script Tasks, you can test the scripts directly, using the Play Image Modified button at the Task name line

. The

results of your code will show in the standard Designer output.

Accessing Tags and Modules

Properties

The access to Tags tags and other properties for other models is exactly the same as C# or VB.Net, NET; just use the '@' symbol to access directly the properties directly, as shown in the image: '@Tag.'Tag1'@tag.Tag1

.NET Interoperability

Calling ScriptClass Methods

At In the Script namespace, or in any code place in your solution where Expressions are allowed, call call methods defined on the script you can use the following syntax to call classes. 

@Script.Class.TestClass.ExempleMethod(param1, param2)

This activation is independent from of the language the class was created in.

This means creating. Meaning C# and VB.NET can call Python classes, and Python code call .NET classes.

Extensibility Toolkit

We provide a toolkit in Python (TKDataAccess.py) which allows the Python code and application to interact with the Studio projects.

Using the Python Namespace in .NET

The Python namespace can be used in any script editor (Tasks, Classes, or CodeBehind) inside your project environment. To use the Python namespace, you simply need to install the Python.NET package, available on github.

The Python namespace provides several .NET methods that interact with Python codes and objects. See some of those methods below:                        

• Run a .py file using Python for .NET

string ExecutePyFile(string pyFileName, Dictionary<string, object> locals = null, bool keepValuesAsPython = false)

string pyFileName = Python file
Dictionary<string, object> locals = Local variables inside Python code. Default is null.
bool keepValuesAsPython = Keep retuned values as Python objects or convert to .NET objects. Default is false.
string returns = If success return null else string contains error.

• Run a Python code using Python for .NET

string ExecuteCode(string code, string workingDirectory = null, Dictionary<string, object> locals = null, bool keepValuesAsPython = false)

string code = py file name
string workingDirectory = Working directory. It will be added in 'sys.path'
Dictionary<string, object> locals = Local variables inside Python code. Default is null.
bool keepValuesAsPython = Keep retuned values as Python objects or convert to .NET objects. Default is false.
string return = If success return null else string contains error.

• Convert a Python value to a .NET value

public static object FromPython(object value)

object value = Python value
object returns = NET value

• Copy a Python object to a tag (Array or User Template)

public static void CopyPythonObjectToTag(object source, string tagName)

object source = Python object.
string tagName = Tag Array or User Template.

• Copy a tag (Array or User Template) to a Python object

public static void CopyTagToPythonObject(string tagName, object target)

string tagName = Tag Array or User Template.
object target = Python object.

• Create a Python object from a Python class

public static object CreatePythonObjectFromPyFile(string pyFileName, string className, object[] parameters = null, string tagName = null)

string pyFileName = Python file name containg the definition of Python class.
string className = Python class name.
object[] parameters = Parameters for Python class while creating Python object.
string tagName = Tag name (Optional, Tag Array or User Template). If tag exists then copy all values to new Python object.
object returns = Reference to new Python object.

• Get all attributes of a Python object

public static IDictionary<string, object> GetAttributesPythonObject(object pythonObject, bool keepValuesAsPython = false)

object pythonObject = Python object/
bool keepValuesAsPython = Keep retuned values as Python objects or convert to .NET objects. Default is false.
IDictionary<string, object> = Dictionary contains attributes (name and value).

• Set a new value for attributes of a Python object

public static void SetAttributesPythonObject(object pythonObject, IDictionary<string, object> dic)

object pythonObject = Python object.
IDictionary<string, object> = Dictionary contains attributes (name and value) for setting.

• Dump a python object to a string to send it to a TraceWindow

public static string DumpPythonObjectToString(object pythonObject)

object pythonObject = Python object.
string returns = Dump information of object.

TKDataAccess.py

You can create code in the Python environment and use the TKDataAccess.py file to interact with the projects. 

Below are some methods from TKDataAccess.py that you can use:

• Open a connection with the server

Connect(runtimeHostAddress, userName, password):

runtimeHostAddress  =  IP address or server name
userName  = User name.
password = Password

• Get a server connection status

GetConnectionStatus ()                 

• Check your script's connection to the server

IsConnected ()

• Disconnect from Server

Disconnect()

• Set a flag waiting value from server

SetSyncFlag(flag):

flag = True wait value from server, false does not wait value from server.

• Retrieve a current value

GetObjectValue(name)

name = TagName

• Set a new value for an object

SetObjectValue(name, newValue)

name = TagName
newValue = new value to set in the tag.

• Execute a method from a remote ScriptClass

ExecuteClassMethodOnServer(className, methodName, parameters)

className = name of the class in the remote project.
methodName = name of the method in the remote class.
parameters = if any, necessary to the invoke the remove method.

Examples

Using Namespace in CodeBehind

In this example, there are two input parameters called val1 and val2 that will be summarized and the result will be stored in the result variable.

The code that executes this action is presented below.

//Defining where locate the .py files that will use
string  pyDefinition  =  @Info.GetExecutionFolder()  +  @"\Calc\algorithm.py"; string pyWorkingFolder = @Info.GetExecutionFolder();

try
{
string error;
Dictionary<string,  object>  param  =  new  Dictionary<string,  object>();

       //Defining the used imports from Python	
string imports = "";
imports += "import sys" + Environment.NewLine;
imports += "from Calc.algorithm import Algorithm" + Environment.NewLine;

      //Creating a .Net object from a Python object	
object algorithm =Python.CreatePythonObjectFromPyFile(pyDefinition, "Algorithm", null);
//Creating a .Net object from a Python object	
object val1 = Python.ToPython(@Tag.val1);
object val2 = Python.ToPython(@Tag.val2);

      //Setting the parameters with the .Net objects that will be used to execute the Python code
param.Clear(); param.Add("algorithm", algorithm); param.Add("val1", val1);
param.Add("val2", val2);

      //Call method to execute Python code
error  =  Python.ExecuteCode("result  =  algorithm.Sum(val1,  val2)",  pyWorkingFolder,  param,  true); 

if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(error))
throw new Exception(error);

       //Set .Net object with result Python object , return of algorithm.Sum Python method
object result = param["result"];

//Copy .Net object to Tag
Python.CopyPythonObjectToTag(result, @Tag.result.GetName());
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
@Info.Trace("Python: " + (ex.InnerException == null ? ex.Message : ex.InnerException.Message));
}

Using Tasks

In this scenario, we configure a task for the Python language.

In the Standard Output field, we selected a tag called output. This tag type must be text. In the Arguments field, we selected another type of tag called script.

Using the print method, the Python task retrieves the input data and outputs its value inside a string. The sys.argv will receive the Tag.script and the output tag will receive all the values from the print() method.

import sys

value = sys.argv[1] print("Value: " + value) print("That’s  all  folks!")

can call .NET classes.

In this section: