Getting started

Installation

The AMPL API can function as an add-on to any existing AMPL installation. If you do not yet have an AMPL installation on the computer where you will be working with the API, see our demo page or trial page to download a working version that can be installed quickly.

Follow the instructions on our AMPL API page to download the API package appropriate to your platform, and to add the downloaded folder (directory) amplapi to your AMPL installation.

Initial test

Open the MATLAB application window and set the path to amplapi/examples/matlab. Enter the following to initialize the session and then run an example:

setupOnce
firstExample <solver>

where optionally <solver> is the name of a solver that has been installed with AMPL. (If a solver is not specified, then AMPL’s default choice will be used.) This will solve several small diet problems and then display the optimal amounts of the foods from the last solution.

Development

Call the setUp function defined in amplapi/matlab/setUp.m from your MATLAB code to add ampl-1.2.2.jar to the class path. Together with your existing AMPL implementation, this will provide the full object library and access to all AMPL functions.

The amplapi folder (directory) can be moved to a different location in your computer’s filesystem, provided that the location of your AMPL executable (ampl or ampl.exe) has been placed in the system search path.

Deployment

To deploy AMPL API applications to users who do not have their own AMPL installations, include with your MATLAB application the AMPL executable (ampl or ampl.exe); the folders (directories) amplapi/lib and amplapi/matlab; binaries needed to run any solvers that are used; and an appropriate license file for AMPL and solvers.