Datafeed Connect Bloomberg returns an error

I get an error 'Cannot find Bloomberg license or bbapi.dll is not found on the system path' when trying to establish connection in datafeed toolbox. Few points:

• I am able to download the data using getdata history functions
• I have C:\blp\API on my system path(check environment variables) and I do have that file in that folder
• Bloomberg DEMO API works
• The Bloomberg API (Bloomberg access software) is installed on this machine

Please help if you can :)

Many thanks,

Alexey

[dpb]

Is the .dll actually where you think it is?

Are you sure the environment you're looking at is the one for the session (ie, not a new session being opened?)

Needs must see difference between demo code and yours that fails...

[Alexey]

Thank you for the comment. The bbapi.dll is there in the folder C:\blp\API, I'm not sure about environment. All I do is dype dftool and press connect with bloomberg selected and I get this error.

[Oleg Komarov]

I recall the dftool was being unofficially revised/dropped. I think I had the same problem, and submitted a support request, but can't find the answer. Also, I really never use the gui in the end.

[dpb]

The current doc link doesn't say anything about the tool being deprecated.

http://www.mathworks.com/help/datafeed/dftool.html?searchHighlight=dftool

So, I'd still suggest Alexey contact support.

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

Just to double check, type "path" into the command window and make sure "C:\blp\API" is listed there. Also make sure the "bits" of your OS and MATLAB (32 or 64) match the "bits" of the DLL. And of course, you forgot to include your code so you're making it hard for us to help you by forcing us to guess and work "blind".

[Alexey]

Thank you for your reply. Here is the code which works:

c = blp; % bloomberg connection
disp('Retrieving historical data from Bloomberg')
d = history(c,'NHY NO Equity','PX_LAST','01/01/1990','31/07/2014',{'previous_value','non_trading_weekdays'})

Then I type

dftool

I select Bloomberg and press connect that's where I get an error.

I've added the C:\blp\API folder to Matlab path as I didn't have it there before. When error prompted for the path I thought that would be an environment variables path which was suggested in the other post here at Matlab Central.

I run 64bit OS and 64bit Matlab. Do you know how I can check which bits dll I'm running bbapi.dll is the name of the file

There are otehr files in that folder with slightly different names blpapi32.dll blpapi3_32.dll blpapi3_64.dll.

Thank you!

Best wishes,

Alexey

[dpb]

The issue could by the error also be related to the license file. If you've not worked this out yet, contact TMW at www.mathworks.com for installation support.

[Image Analyst]

I'm tending to agree with dpb. Sometimes - I don't know how - but people have toolboxes installed but the license does not let them work that toolbox anymore. Call the Mathworks for free installation help. It should be free since it's essentially an installation issue - you can't even run a toolbox function right after starting MATLAB.

I don't know how to tell how many bits a DLL was built with.

[dpb]

The ones Alexey shows have the size in the names which is convenient... :)

I'm sure it's in the header info inside the file when it was built but don't have a tool handy if it's not obvious.

Shouldn't have to worry about it, though--the code will "know" which it's trying to resolve to so when get whatever's wrong in the installation worked out it'll all go away.

[Image Analyst]

OK, right. Perhaps the code always calls "blpapi32.dll" by that name and to make sure that's the right one, you need to copy either blpapi3_32.dll or blpapi3_64.dll into blpapi32.dll so that it has the proper bits and is using the right file.