Python Integration

Multiple  Python Versions

The .NET integration is currently compatible and tested with Python releases 3.7 - 3.11.

Tested is the operative word, as earlier and newer version are likely to be compatible in most features, if not all them, but they aren't officially tested and supported.

In or the setup the system to use Python, follow those steps.

1. Install Python on the machines you intend to run the application, AND, on the machines you intend to use the Solution Designer configuration tool.
2. Setup the Solution Settings to select with Python shell folder should be used by that solution. 

The fact that each solution has its internal settings configuration about the used Python interpreter is very important, it allows to easy keep development and maintenance of various solitons that may required different Python versions. 

In-Solution Designer Editing

Framework supports the shell activation of Python scripts from external files, created with other tools, but it also a has an integrator code editor, wit Python syntax sighting, and an output

Our software platform now includes Python as a programming language you can use in Code Behind, Scripts, Tasks, and interactively via external Python code. 

window to text the results of the ongoing coding. 

Edit and run Python Code directly with Designer.

Build in Code Editor

Intermix .ent an dPyong (C# and VB.NET call Python class directly, and Python call do.nt Functions directly. Not APIs or integration work, just use it.

Ooutput Pytong OUpot direclty, easy play areas.

Directly access an FrameworX Tags and Namespaces from Python code, not APIs or custom code, just it directly. 

Displays, and Clienst Side Scrips can easily and asuncrououc use Python classes form the server. 

Extensibility Toolkit

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

Overview

Users can use Python in three different ways:

Executing Python code from Script-Tasks

Using the Script → Task for Python: Execute Python code (.py) and using the Script Task interface to set and get parameters (no code needed in the Studio side).

Using Python for .NET

Python for .NET enabled the Python namespace in both C# and VB.NET applications. Create .NET code using the Python namespace to interact with the Python objects.

System Requirements

Python Interpreter

The first step to use Python programming is to include a link to the version of the Python interpreter you want to use for your project. 

You can download Python here.

During the installation of the Python Engine, we strongly recommend choosing the option to “Install for all users”.

Now you need to add the interpreter to your project. Go to Project Settings → General tab and search for the Python field. Click the "..." button, navigate to find the installed Python Engine, and select the python.exe file.

A new feature is you can run a python in a server selecting the python.exe interpreter too.

Python for .Net

Python for .NET is a package that gives Python programmers nearly seamless integration with the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR) and provides a powerful application scripting tool for .NET developers.

Python for .NET allows Python code to interact with the CLR and may be used to embed Python into a .NET application. The installation files and documentation are available here.

Check to see whether your Python and Windows versions are 32-bit or 64-bit before you download Python for .NET. This is only required if you intend to use the Python namespace in Studio Scripts and Display CodeBehinds.

Creating Scripts in Python

To create scripts based on the Python programming language, go to Scripts → Tasks, select a new blank row, and double-click on the Code column. After clicking Code, a combo-box will appear. Select Python from the combobox. 

After creating a new script task, you need to edit it in the CodeEditor tab.

The configuration settings are detailed below:

• File Name: Name of .py file.
• Standard Output: Tag name that will receive all output printed via print.
• Arguments: List of arguments. This parameter list will be passed as arguments for the Python Engine (python.exe).

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!")

Using TKDataAccess.Py

The Python code using the TKDataAccess.py module in Main.py is described below:

import sys
from Extensions.TKDataAccess import TKDataAccess dataAccess = TKDataAccess()
connectionStatus = dataAccess.Connect("127.0.0.1:3101", "guest", "") print("Connection: " + connectionStatus)

if dataAccess.IsConnected() :
ret  =  dataAccess.GetObjectValue("Tag.tag1") print("Value: " + str(ret)) dataAccess.SetObjectValue("Tag.tag2",  ret)

dataAccess.Disconnect()

Then, you need to create the code that is shown below or create a Python Script Task that executes the Main.py file, which contains the calling for TKDataAccess shown above. So here, we will use the Python namespace as previously described.

The code is shown below.

try
{
string  error  =  Python.ExecutePyFile(@Info.GetExecutionFolder()  +  @"\Main.py",  null,  true); if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(error))
throw new Exception(error);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
@Info.Trace("Python: " + (ex.InnerException == null ? ex.Message : ex.InnerException.Message));
}

In this section: