eplan-development

EPLAN Electric P8 Development

Comprehensive guide for developing with EPLAN Electric P8: scripting (C#), the EPLAN API, and remote automation. Distilled from working production code and curated examples.

The three development models

Model	Runs	License	Use for
Scripting	Inside EPLAN (compiled on load, C# subset)	None extra	Automating actions, UI additions (ribbon), event hooks, file exports
API extension	Inside EPLAN (compiled DLL) or offline app	API license	Deep data access: parts DB, project object model, pages, properties
Remote Client	External process (WPF/console) driving a running EPLAN	RemoteClient DLLs	Orchestration apps, headless build pipelines, Cogineer generation

Note: scripts CAN use some API namespaces (e.g. Eplan.EplApi.MasterData for the parts database) directly from a [Start] method — see references/api-data-access.md.

Reference files — read the one that matches the task

• references/script-basics.md — Script structure, entry-point attributes ([Start], [DeclareAction], [DeclareEventHandler], [DeclareRegister]), deployment, scripting limitations.
• references/actions-reference.md — Executing actions with CommandLineInterpreter + ActionCallingContext; catalog of common actions (backup, export PDF, reports, labels, edit, selectionset…) with their parameters.
• references/core-classes.md — Progress, Decider, PathMap variables, Settings, MultiLangString, ribbon/context menus, QuietModeStep, system messages (BaseException, SysMessagesCollection).
• references/api-data-access.md — Parts database (MDPartsManagement), part properties, user-defined properties, multilanguage string parsing, resolving $(MD_DOCUMENTS)-style paths.
• references/remoting.md — EplanRemoteClient: server discovery, dynamic ports, headless launch, version gotchas (2023 vs 2025), executing actions and scripts remotely, Cogineer generation from Excel.
• references/pitfalls.md — CRITICAL: the command-blocking issue (message loop / monitor thread), using/Dispose discipline, sequential execution model, error-handling rules.
• references/integration-patterns.md — Connecting EPLAN to the outside: HTTP servers, SignalR real-time messaging, forwarding EPLAN system errors to external services.

When you don't know something: query the RAG

A semantic search service indexes the full EPLAN P8 documentation (API reference, user guide, hidden/undocumented actions — ~57k vectors). Always query it before guessing action names, parameters, or API signatures:

curl -X POST https://rag2026.covaga.xyz/search \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"query": "export project to PDF parameters", "topK": 5}'

• POST /search — body {"query": "...", "topK": N} (public, no auth)
• GET /stats — index statistics; GET /health — health check

Use natural-language queries in English ("action to renumber devices", "PagePropertyList page type values"). Prefer several narrow queries over one broad one.

Golden rules (violating these causes real production failures)

1. EPLAN actions are pseudo-asynchronous. After oCLI.Execute(...) in an external/long-running context, code can hang forever without an active message loop. See references/pitfalls.md before writing any multi-step automation.
2. Dispose everything. ActionCallingContext, EplanRemoteClient, temp clients — wrap in using or dispose in finally.
3. Operations are sequential. Each EPLAN action must fully finish before the next; never fire actions in parallel against one instance.
4. Never use empty catch {}. Log with BaseException(msg, MessageLevel.X).FixMessage() (inside EPLAN) or a logger (outside).
5. EPLAN 2025 remoting requires "Remote Client Access" enabled in EPLAN options; transport is gRPC (default port 49152, dynamic). In 2023 it was on by default.
6. Target .NET Framework 4.8.1 for EPLAN 2025 API/RemoteClient work; reference DLLs from C:\Program Files\EPLAN\Platform\<version>\Bin\.
7. Verify action names/parameters against the RAG — many are undocumented and case-sensitive.