SupportAPI Library

API Library

Notes

Supported Releases: These releases have been certified by Bloomberg’s Enterprise Products team for use by Bloomberg customers.

Experimental Releases: These releases have not yet been certified for use by Bloomberg customers, but have been released by the API library engineering team in order to address specific issues or add new features. Bloomberg customers should not use these releases unless specifically directed to do so.

Documentation: The BLPAPI Developer’s Guide is a tutorial for developing applications with BLPAPI in C++, Java and C# (.NET). It documents how the SDK libraries connect to the Bloomberg network, data schemas, events and messages, and much more.

API Windows

API Linux: These Bloomberg API libraries cannot be used by Bloomberg Professional terminal users (which use the Desktop API). They are only compatible with the Bloomberg Server API and B-Pipe data feed products.

API macOS ARM: These Bloomberg API libraries cannot be used by Bloomberg Professional terminal users (which use the Desktop API). They are only compatible with the Bloomberg Server API and B-Pipe data feed products.

Schema Downloader: The schema downloader provides a standalone tool to download service schemas, which can then be used with the TestUtil component to create messages to test your application behavior.

API Python

The Python API can be installed through ‘pip’ using:

>> python -m pip install --index-url=https://blpapi.bloomberg.com/repository/releases/python/simple/ blpapi

We support and provide wheels for Python 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12; Both 32 and 64 bits, for Windows, macOS, and most versions of Linux. These wheels now come bundled with the required C++ API, and a separate C++ API installation is no longer required.

On Linux, ‘pip’ >= 19.3 is required to install these wheels. A source package is also provided for other platforms/Python versions. If building the module from sources, a local installation of the C++ API is required for both building and importing the blpapi module in Python.

Note: The oldest supported version of Python for BLPAPI is currently Python 3.8.

BLPAPI via FFI: These libraries use a Foreign Function Interface (FFI) to combine a native C++ backend with language-specific interfaces, providing improved performance, cross-language consistency, and minimal client-side changes. Currently, only C# FFI is supported.

The C# (.NET) FFI API can be installed through the .NET CLI

One-time: add Bloomberg’s private NuGet feed
>> dotnet nuget add source --name bloomberg-blpapi-release --username token --password download --store-password-in-clear-text https://token:download@nuget.blpapi.bloomberg.com/releases/v3/index.json

Install the latest C# (.NET) FFI experimental release
>> dotnet add package Bloomberg.Blpapi --prerelease

Revert to the latest non-FFI C#(.NET) package
>> dotnet add package Bloomberg.Blpapi
To pin a specific version, use --version .

C# (.NET) FFI documentation