ReliaSoft API Reference

• Changelog
• API Documentation
• Tutorials

The ReliaSoft Application Programming Interface (API) enables you to programmatically read and write data to ReliaSoft repositories, as well as analyze and plot data sets from external sources. It is provided for Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and .NET applications, allowing you to create automated solutions using popular Microsoft Office applications, such as Excel and PowerPoint, or create custom applications for your organization.

Implementing the ReliaSoft API allows you to connect data in repositories with the systems and tools used within your organization. It 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 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 ReliaSoft repositories, as well as load data into the Reliability Data Warehouse (RDW).

• Obtain calculated results

Read data from published models and obtain calculated results such as reliability, probability of failure, BX% life, failure rate and mean time.

• Analyze data

Use Weibull++'s analysis and plotting engines to analyze data from third-party sources, and incorporate the functionality into your own custom applications. (Requires a ReliaSoft API license.)

Prerequisites

• Getting the latest version

The ReliaSoft API consists of a library file that contains the classes, methods and events that provide access to ReliaSoft applications. The file is located in the folder where the ReliaSoft desktop applications are installed. By default, this folder is at "C:\Program Files\ReliaSoft\ReliaSoft 2023." For VBA, you will use the ReliaSoftAPI23.tlb file; for .NET applications, you will use the ReliaSoftAPI23.dll file. Prior to Version 2019, the files to use were SynthesisAPI.tlb (VBA) and SynthesisAPI.dll (.NET).

To obtain the latest version of the library file and the ReliaSoft applications, choose File > Help > Check for Updates or download the latest version from the HBM Prenscia Support Portal.

• Build environment

For Visual Studio projects using Version 10 or 11, at minimum you will need Visual Studio 2010 and the .NET Framework 4.0 runtime. Version 2018 and later require Visual Studio 2015 and the .NET Framework 4.6.1 developer pack and runtime. Starting in Version 2022, .NET Framework 4.8 developer pack is required.

• 32- vs. 64-bit

For VBA, the bit version of the ReliaSoft applications 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.

For Visual Studio projects targeting the .NET Framework 4.5 (or later) and compiled to run an any platform (Any CPU), turn off the Prefer 32-bit property of the build configuration if you want instances of your application to run as a 64-bit process; otherwise, the application will run as a 32-bit process on both 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows. It is necessary to ensure your application bitness matches the bitness of the ReliaSoft desktop applications installed wherever your application is run due to dependencies on platform-specific libraries.

• Running API applications on a server

If you plan to run the API on a Windows server, you must use locally hosted licensing with Prenscia Access.

• Access to calculations functionality

Access to Weibull++'s analysis and plotting engines requires a ReliaSoft API license. To obtain a license, please see contact ReliaSoft.

Getting Started

Referencing the ReliaSoft API Library File

To use the ReliaSoft API in your code, you must reference the ReliaSoft API library in your VBA or .NET projects. The file is located in the folder where the ReliaSoft desktop applications are installed. By default for Version 2023, this folder is at "C:\Program Files\ReliaSoft\ReliaSoft 2023." For VBA, you will use the ReliaSoftAPI23.tlb file; for .NET applications, you will use the ReliaSoftAPI23.dll file.

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 ReliaSoftAPI23.tlb file on your computer. Click OK.

To reference the library in Visual Studio:

1. In the Solution Explorer, right-click the References node of your project and choose Add References.
2. In the Reference Manager window, click the Browse tab and find the ReliaSoftAPI23.dll file on your computer. Click OK.
3. Edit your project file, either directly using any text editor, or by right-clicking your project and choosing Unload Project, then right-clicking your project again and choosing Edit Project File
4. Insert the following line just before the last </Project> clause (change the path if necessary):

<Import Project="C:\Program Files\ReliaSoft\ReliaSoft 2023\ReliaSoftAPI.targets" />

This will ensure the required files are copied into your project’s destination folder during the build.

5. Save the project file. If you unloaded the project in step 3, right-click the project and choose Reload Project.

Examples

Sample applications that you can test and tweak yourself are included with the ReliaSoft installation. The files are stored on your computer at C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\ReliaSoft\Examples23\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.)

Tutorials

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

Object Library

Below is a summary of the core objects in the ReliaSoft API library. For an alphabetical listing of all objects in the latest version, see API Reference Documentation.

• The Repository object represents the ReliaSoft 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 represent the ReliaSoft resources. Instances of each class can be used to store data for an existing or new resource.
  • cAction
  • cCorrectiveTask
  • cScheduledTask
  • cCrew
  • cModel
  • cPool
  • cProfile
  • cURD
  • cVariable
  • cXfmeaControl

• The following objects build data sets for the Reliability Data Warehouse (RDW).
  • 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 following objects represent the FMEA records. Instances of each class can be used to store data for an existing or new FMEA analysis.
  • XfmeaFunction
  • XfmeaCause
  • XfmeaEffect
  • XfmeaFailure

• The WeibullDataSet object represents a Weibull++ data sheet for life data analysis. Instances of this class are used to 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.