Talk:Synthesis API Reference/Notes

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DRAFT for 10.4

The Synthesis Platform’s Application Programming Interface (API) enables you to programmatically read and write data to Synthesis repositories, as well as analyze and plot data sets from external sources. It gives you the flexibility to connect your Synthesis applications and data with other systems and tools used within your organization.

The API is available for Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and .NET applications. You can create automated solutions using popular Microsoft Office applications, such as Excel and PowerPoint, or create custom .NET applications for your organization. The API provides the functionality to:

  • Transfer and synchronize data via XML
Use XML files to manage structured data (such as system hierarchies/BOMs, incidents and work orders) between ReliaSoft’s XFRACAS and a variety of different PLMs, ERPs, CMMS and other external systems. You can also use XML files to create reliability block diagrams (RBDs) in BlockSim.
  • Read/write specific data elements
Read or write data to Synthesis resources (models, actions, URDs, etc.), system hierarchy items and FMEA records (causes, effects, failures, etc.). Initiate batch data processing and create custom solutions for importing/exporting data from Synthesis repositories, as well as load data into the Synthesis Data Warehouse (SDW).
  • Obtain calculated results
Read data from published Synthesis models and obtain calculated results such as reliability, probability of failure, BX% life, failure rate and mean time.
  • Analyze data
Use Weibull++'s or ALTA’s analysis and plotting engines to analyze data from third-party sources, and incorporate the functionality into your own custom applications.

Getting Started

Tutorials

Tutorials are available to help you learn the core objects of the Synthesis API and start coding right away. The tutorials include code samples for both VBA and VB.NET.

Examples

Sample applications that you can test and tweak yourself are included with the Synthesis Platform installation. The files are stored on your computer at C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\ReliaSoft\Examples10\API. (For Version 9, see C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\ReliaSoft\Examples\API.)

The sample applications are available for Excel VBA and VB.NET projects. (To run the Excel examples, macros must be enabled. See this Microsoft article.)

Prerequisites

  • Install the latest version of the Synthesis application.
Choose File > Help > Check for Updates or download the latest version at http://www.ReliaSoft.com/synthesis/downloads.htm. Note that for VBA, the bit version (32- vs. 64-bit) of the Synthesis Platform that you've installed must match your installed version of Microsoft Office. If they do not match, you may see an error related to ActiveX controls. (See ReliaSoft KB article RS20024.)

For implementations that need to run on a Windows server, you must run the Synthesis API Ante Service (see www.synthesisplatform.net/synthesis_ap_ante_service.htm).

  • Reference the Synthesis API object library.
The object library is located in the folder where the Synthesis application is installed. By default, this folder is at "C:\Program Files\ReliaSoft\Synthesis 10". (For Version 9, it is "C:\Program Files\ReliaSoft\Synthesis 9".)
For VBA applications, use the SynthesisAPI.tlb library file. For .NET applications, use SynthesisAPI.dll.
To reference the library in VBA:
  1. Enter the VBA environment by clicking the Visual Basic command on the Developer tab (If the Developer tab is not visible, see this Microsoft article).
  2. In the VBA environment, choose Tools > References.
  3. Click Browse and find the SynthesisAPI.tlb file on your computer. Click OK.
To reference the library in Visual Studio:
  1. In the Solution Explorer, right-click the References node and choose Add References.
  2. In the Reference Manager window, click the Browse tab and find the SynthesisAPI.dll file on your computer. Click OK.

Object Library

The Synthesis API is designed to closely follow the user interface of Synthesis desktop applications. For example, there is a class for every type of Synthesis resource and every type of FMEA record; there’s a class to represent a Weibull++ folio, and a class to represent the analysis settings that you might find in the folio’s control panel.

Below is a summary of the core objects in the Synthesis API library. For an alphabetical listing of all classes and enumerations, see API Reference Documentation.

  • The Repository object represents the Synthesis repository. All other objects use the functions in this class to read or write data to the repository. This class also contains the functions for importing/exporting XML files.
  • The following objects build data sets for the Synthesis Data Warehouse (SDW).
    • RawData represents a single data point.
    • RawDataSet serves as the data container for RawData objects.
  • The XfmeaItem object represents a system hierarchy item. Instances of this class can be used to store data for a system or assembly, as well as build a multi-level system configuration.
  • The WeibullDataSet object represents a Weibull++ data sheet for life data analysis. Instances of this class are used define a data set and fit a statistical distribution to the data.
  • The ALTADataSet object represents an ALTA data sheet for accelerated life testing data analysis. Instances of this class are used to define a data set, and fit a distribution and life-stress relationship to the data.
  • The WAPlots object represents a plot based on a cModel, WeibullDataSet or ALTADataSet object. Instances of this class are used to display a plot of the analysis results.
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