How to install Bloomberg API Library for Python 2.

Question

I'm trying to setup my Mac OS X system to use the pdblp Python library which requires me to first install the Bloomberg Open API libary for Python. After cloning the git repo and running python setup.py install, I get

File "setup.py", line 20, in <module>
  raise Exception("BLPAPI_ROOT environment variable isn't defined")
Exception: BLPAPI_ROOT environment variable isn't defined

How should I proceed?

Answer 1

Just to complete the question (thanks mob :)

Packages Source - https://www.bloomberglabs.com/api/libraries/

Preparation

1. SDK for C/C++
2. SDK for Python

Instructions

# navigate yourself to the path where you want to keep your SDK for some tim
cd /Users/msam/

# unzip C/C++ Package
tar zxvf Downloads/blpapi_cpp_3.8.1.1-darwin.tar.gz

# set variable
export BLPAPI_ROOT=/some/directory/blpapi_cpp_3.8.1.1/
export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=/Users/sampathkumarm/blpapi_cpp_3.8.1.1/Darwin/

# save variable to reuse in next session
echo >> ~/.bash_profile
echo "Bloomberg API (python)library Settings " >> ~/.bash_profile
echo "export BLPAPI_ROOT=/some/directory/blpapi_cpp_3.8.1.1/" >> ~/.bash_profile
echo "export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=/Users/sampathkumarm/blpapi_cpp_3.8.1.1/Darwin/"  >> ~/.bash_profile
echo >> ~/.bash_profile

Ref: 1. python blpapi installation error

Answer 2

You also need to install the C/C++ libraries and then set BLPAPI_ROOT to the location of the libblpapi3_32.so or libblpapi3_64.so files. For example:

cd /some/directory
wget https://bloomberg.bintray.com/BLPAPI-Experimental-Generic/blpapi_cpp_3.8.1.1-darwin.tar.gz
tar zxvf blpapi_cpp_3.8.1.1-darwin.tar.gz
export BLPAPI_ROOT=/some/directory/blpapi_cpp_3.8.1.1/Darwin

Then you can proceed with installing the python library.