In Solver Foundation 2.1 we added very basic support for VBA in the Excel Add-In. By obtaining the MSF add-in COM object you can call Solve, which has the same effect as clicking the “Solve” button in the Solver Foundation Ribbon:
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In this post we introduce some utility methods to make it easier to work with arrays in Solver Foundation programs. Most real models involve either input parameters or output decision variables that involve collections. For example, in an investment portfolio optimization model we may have an input parameter that represents ... Read More
In the 2.1 release of Microsoft Solver Foundation, there is a bug in the sample plug-in for the XpressMPSolver. For improved performance variable/row keys are no longer specified by Solver foundation services when creating LinearModel object. In order to work correctly, the source for the XpressMPSolver plug-in should be mod... Read More
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Mixed integer programming (MIP) models are one of the most commonly formulated Solver Foundation model types. “Mixed” refers to the fact that such models contain both integer and continuous (real) decision variables. People frequently want to solve the “relaxation” of a MIP model: the model where all ... Read More
In a previous post, we discussed modeling tricks for min-max problems. From there, it is simple to handle absolute values as well. Consider a problem of the form
minimize Abs... Read More
When modeling problems, one may come to a formulation that is not directly model-able using the Solver Foundation API, but that may be reformulated as a known Solver Foundation model type (LP, QP, CSP, etc). Consider certain min-max problems, which with a little thought can become a linear program.
In the curre... Read More
Solver Foundation Version 2.1 introduced a new API class called LinearReport that allows programmatic access of the report data. You can use this class to retreive sensitivity and infeasibility informat... Read More
When using the .NET Framework 3.5, a workaround is required to use a WCF service application with Solver Foundation. Without this workaround, the application may cause a configuration exception: "exePath must be specified when not running inside a stand alone exe". The workaround involves creating a web service to wrap ... Read More
Monday was an exciting day for the Solver Foundation team as Bob Muglia announced Microsoft's Technical Computing initiative. Microsoft is announcing its commitment to... Read More
For advanced developers, you can change the solver that is used by the Solver Foundation Excel add-in. For example, if you have developed your own solver and want to use the Excel UI, you can create a configuration file to change the default solver. Currently, there are certain limitations to this method, including not being... Read More
