use dymola python bridge to run framework on windows

[Honigmelone]

Hi,

thanks for updating this repository for python 3. I wanted to try the code on my machine and was experiencing trouble with the automated simulation execution, due to it only being implemented for linux. In this pull request I want to show a possibility to use this in windows as well. The proposed solution, might also be favourable for runtime optimization.

why

• the current setup executes a *.mos file directly with the dymola executable.
• this loads all user interface libraries see stackoverflow
• the approach is unflexible, since the specific command to launch the dymola executable varies depending on the used operating system
• the approach is doesn't allow treatment of errors during execution

how

• Dymola ships a python interface of its own see https://github.com/RWTH-EBC/AixLib/wiki/How-to:-Dymola-Python-Interface
• Small adjustments are needed to in the *.mos writer

tasks left

• clean the code. This is just a working example.

I would be happy if you would consider such a change.

[FWuellhorst]

Thanks for implementing this and thus contributing to this fork. :)
Please check if you are calling the add_dymola_to_active_environment.py. I could not find it anywhere.

[FWuellhorst]

This will work for Dymola 2018 only.
I'm currently using the following function to dynamically find Dymola installations.
Feel free to adapt it to pathlib :)
Note that I tested it for Windows and Linux, not for mac so far.

import sys
import os


def get_dymola_install_path(basedir=None):
    """
    Function to get the path of the newest dymola installment
    on the used machine. Supported platforms are:
    * Windows
    * Linux
    * Mac OS X
    If multiple installation of Dymola are found, the newest version will be returned.
    This assumes the names are sortable, e.g. Dymola 2020, Dymola 2019 etc.

    :param str basedir:
        The base-directory to search for the dymola-installation.
        The default value depends on the platform one is using.
        On Windows it is "C://Program Files" or "C://Program Files (x86)" (for 64 bit)
        On Linux it is "/opt" (based on our ci-Docker configuration
        On Mac OS X "/Application" (based on the default)
    :return: str
        Path to the dymola-installation
    """

    if basedir is None:
        if "linux" in sys.platform:
            basedir = os.path.normpath("/opt")
        elif "win" in sys.platform:
            basedir = os.path.normpath("C:/Program Files")
        elif "darwin" in sys.platform:
            basedir = os.path.normpath("/Applications")
        else:
            raise OSError(f"Your operating system ({sys.platform})does not support "
                          f"a default basedir. Please provide one.")

    syspaths = [basedir]
    # Check if 64bit is installed (Windows only)
    systempath_64 = os.path.normpath("C://Program Files (x86)")
    if os.path.exists(systempath_64):
        syspaths.append(systempath_64)
    # Get all folders in both path's
    temp_list = []
    for systempath in syspaths:
        temp_list += os.listdir(systempath)
    # Filter programs that are not Dymola
    dym_versions = []
    for folder_name in temp_list:
        # Catch both Dymola and dymola folder-names
        if "dymola" in folder_name.lower():
            dym_versions.append(folder_name)
    del temp_list
    # Find the newest version and return the egg-file
    # This sorting only works with a good Folder structure, eg. Dymola 2020, Dymola 2019 etc.
    dym_versions.sort()
    for dym_version in reversed(dym_versions):
        for system_path in syspaths:
            full_path = os.path.join(system_path, dym_version)
            if os.path.isdir(full_path):
                return full_path
    # If still inside the function, no interface was found

[FWuellhorst]

If the creation fails, isn't the whole script going to fail as well?

[FWuellhorst]

Does this achieve something different than simple dymola.cd(Path(WORKING_DIR).as_posix())?

[FWuellhorst]

Does not work so far? If so, delete. If it works, add an options at the start, e.g. PLOT_RESULTS = True.