OpcLabs.QuickOPC
================

QuickOPC is a suite of OPC Client/Subscriber Development Components for COM 
and .NET. These components are for *OPC "Classic"* (COM/DCOM-based), 
*OPC XML-DA*, and *OPC Unified Architecture* (including *OPC UA PubSub*) 
specifications.

QuickOPC is a commercially licensed product. Without a license key, it runs 
in a trial mode. The trial provides valid data to client or subscriber 
applications for 30 minutes; after that period, the component (your app) needs 
to be re-started, and so on. You must also comply with licensing terms for 
3rd-party material redistributed with QuickOPC. For details, see the 
documentation.

Remember that NuGet is primarily a tool for resolving build-time 
dependencies. The amount of functionality that you get through QuickOPC NuGet 
packages is smaller than what QuickOPC can actually do for you. If you want a 
full coverage of the features, you would be better off downloading the Setup 
program from [OPC Labs Web site](https://www.opclabs.com). Further below you 
will find a list of differences between the two distribution forms.

QuickOPC requires **.NET Framework** 4.7.2, **.NET Core** 3.1 or **.NET** 6.0
as a minimum. Under .NET Core and .NET 6.0+, it is supported on **Linux**, 
**macOS** and **Microsoft Windows.** 

PLEASE DO NOT USE PRE-RELEASE PACKAGES UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO.

List of available NuGet packages
--------------------------------
- **OpcLabs.QuickOpc**: OPC client and subscriber components for all 
environments and project types.
- **OpcLabs.QuickOpc.Forms**: Components that are specific for Windows Forms (can 
be partially used from WPF as well).

- **OpcLabs.QuickOpc.Sample.CS**: Console-based QuickOPC examples in C# (source 
code).
- **OpcLabs.QuickOpc.Sample.VB**: Console-based QuickOPC examples in VB.NET 
(source code).
  
What is included in the NuGet packages
--------------------------------------
- Runtime assemblies for all OPC specifications and programming models.
- OPC browsing dialogs and browsing controls for Windows Forms.
- IntelliSense support (XML comments).
- LINQPad examples.

What is only available from the [Setup program](https://www.opclabs.com/products/quickopc/downloads)
---------------------------------------------
- Support for COM development (VB6, PHP, Excel, Delphi and similar tools).
- Documentation and Help.
- Visual Studio integration, including Live Binding design-time support (codeless creation of OPC applications).
- Complete set of Examples and Demo applications, bonus material.
- OPC Data Access simulation server, test tools.

What is only available from the [Setup program](https://www.opclabs.com/products/quickopc/downloads) or the Web site
-------------------------------------------------------------
[Knowledge Base link - Tool Downloads](https://kb.opclabs.com/Tool_Downloads)
- Various tools, such as Connectivity Explorer, Launcher, OPC UA Demo Publisher, OpcCmd Utility, UA Configuration Tool.
- License Manager (GUI or console-based) utility.

How to start
------------
If you do not mind reading the documentation: [Getting Started](
http://opclabs.doc-that.com/files/onlinedocs/QuickOpc/Latest/User%27s%20Guide%20and%20Reference-QuickOPC/webframe.html#Getting%20Started.html).
Or, the whole [User's Guide](https://www.opclabs.com/resources/documentation).

Otherwise, just instantiate one of the following objects (depending on the 
OPC specification), and explore its methods:

- `OpcLabs.EasyOpc.DataAccess.EasyDAClient` (for OPC DA, OPC XML-DA)
- `OpcLabs.EasyOpc.AlarmsAndEvents.EasyAEClient` (for OPC A&E)
- `OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.EasyUAClient` (for OPC Unified Architecture)
- `OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.PubSub.EasyUASubscriber` (for OPC UA PubSub)

Example code
------------
```csharp
using OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA;
...

var client = new EasyUAClient();
object value = client.ReadValue(
    "opc.tcp://opcua.demo-this.com:51210/UA/SampleServer",
    "nsu=http://test.org/UA/Data/ ;i=10853");
```

Using the example packages
--------------------------
In order to run the code from console-based example packages, you need to 
call it from your project. The examples are organized by the OPC 
specification, and each example is a static method that you can directly 
invoke. For easier exploration, there are also methods that provide the user 
with a menu of methods to choose from.

For OPC Alarms&Events examples, call method:            `DocExamples.AlarmsAndEvents.AEExamplesMenu.Main1`
For OPC Data Access examples, call method:              `DocExamples.DataAccess.DAExamplesMenu.Main1`
For OPC XML-DA examples, call method:                   `DocExamples.DataAccess.Xml.XmlExamplesMenu.Main1`
For OPC Unified Architecture examples, call method:     `UADocExamples.UAExamplesMenu.Main1`
For OPC UA PubSub examples, call method:                `UADocExamples.PubSub.PubSubExamplesMenu.Main1`

Alternatively, you can call just a single selected example, e.g. for reading 
an OPC UA node, call the `UADocExamples._EasyUAClient.Read.Main1` method.

***