API programming with python

Christian · **Posted:** Thu Aug 06, 2009 12:00 pm

Hi there,

in a previous thread I just read that it's possible to program the Rhapsody API using python. I couldn't find anything on that topic in the docs or in the net. Can someone please point me to some documentation, tutorial or whatever might be useful on this topic?

I'm not that familiar with both: Java and VB; so python might be just what I was looking for.

Thanks,
Christian

che · **Posted:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:35 am

Hi Christian

I don't know if there is any doc on the net, but it's quite easy. (If your working in windows, I don't no how it is on Linux...)

All you need is a not too old python (2.6 or even 3.x) and the matching extension for Win32 (see http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/)

As the Rhapsody API is COM, you will find several documentation on how to use COM from python in the net or even in the help coming with pywin32.
See http://oreilly.com/catalog/pythonwin32/chapter/ch12.html for a start.

I've attached a small example script to give you a basic idea on how to do it.

Well, have fun!
Christian

Christian · **Posted:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:30 am

Hi Christian,

thanks for this little example; it worked perfectly.

I'm going to dig deeper into that topic in the near future. I'm not very familiar with COM, too, but at least I don't have to learn another language for the sole purpose of programming the Rhapsody API.

Thanks,
Christian

Christian · **Posted:** Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:27 am

Hi Christian,

I just ran into a problem related to early-bound COM (I guess).

For example, when I retrieve a class-element via findNestedElementRecursive(), it returns an object of type IRPModelElement instead of IRPClass. Thus, I'm not able then to call any methods provided by IRPClass.

I suspect there is some kind of mechanism to cast an object to a specific type. -- But how does this work?

To the contrary, when I iterate over the elements returned by getNestedElements() they all have the correct (most specific) type.

Thanks,
Christian

che · **Posted:** Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:32 pm

Hi Christian

Oh yes. That's a problem with COM. I don't know exactly what the problem is, but COM is a bit strange anyway...

Well,

Code: Select all

win32com.client.Dispatch(rhpElement)

will help.

Have Fun
Christian

Christian · **Posted:** Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:43 am

Hi Christian,

thanks a lot. It works. My code now looks somwhat like this:

Code: Select all

# When I have a class selected in Rhapsody
application = win32com.client.Dispatch("rhapsody.Application")
selected = application.getSelectedElement() # yields IRPModelElement

# force a cast
selected = win32com.client.Dispatch(selected) # yields IRPClass

# access an RPClass property
methods = selected.operations

Thanks,
Christian

ekeko · **Posted:** Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:52 pm

Hi,
I am new in rhapsody and would also prefer to access the API via python. i just found this entry.

some question in general:
- it is also possible to create plug ins for rhapsody with python?
- rhapsody is cutting support for VBA development... would be affect this the access to rhapsody via COM?

thanks for any info.

che · **Posted:** Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:34 pm

Hi

The 'Rhapsody is cutting support for vba development'-thing is bothering me as well. But up till now, the COM-API is still part of the distribution... And I don't think, this will change quickly, as the Test Conductor uses the COM-API as well (AFAIK?) - Well if they do, Jython would be the answer.

The same is for PlugIns. To write them directly in python wouldn't work. But I think Jython should work here as well. I actually never tried to. But after writing my first Rhapsody Java-PlugIn two weeks ago, I really like to give it a try sometime.

Have Fun
Christian

API programming with python

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