[Solved] Launching solver from macro and stagnation

[MZ_Bard]

Hi all! I'm using a NLP DE-PS solver in calc of Libreoffice 6.4.0.3 both on Windows 10 and Debian Linux to remotely execute some dynamically generated problems and I'm quite satisfied with the results so far. The only problem is that when I launch the solver from the dialog windows it correctly stops due to stagnation when satisfying the constraint of objective=0, while if I launch the solver via macro (solv = CreateUnoService("com.sun.star.comp.Calc.NLPSolver.DEPSSolverImpl") ) replicating the same exact setting and scenario the solver works but stagnation is never reached, it doesn't even seem to be processed at all (setting a very low stagnation limit and/or a very high tolerance has no effect whatsoever). It gets to the correct result, but the stagnation meter doesn't move and the solver doesn't stop due to stagnation. This also happens with com.sun.star.comp.Calc.NLPSolver.SCOSolverImpl, and simplifying the problem or removing all settings doesn't seem to affect it either. Am I missing some implementation or doing something wrong?

I tried looking for any discussion on this exact issue but I found none, really sorry if there was one.

Here's a snippet of my code:

Code: Select all

REM  *****  BASIC  *****
Option VBASupport 1
Sub Main

dim document as object
dim dispatcher as object

Dim Doc As Object
Dim PathDoc As String
Dim Props(0) As New com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
PathDoc = ConvertToURL("C:\Users\bard\Desktop\testdata.ods")
Props(0).Name  = "Hidden"
Props(0).Value = True
oDoc = StarDesktop.loadComponentFromURL(PathDoc, "_blank", 0, Props())
rem oDoc = ThisComponent
svc = createUnoService( "com.sun.star.sheet.FunctionAccess" )

Dim Variables(1) as Object
Dim Constraint as New com.sun.star.sheet.SolverConstraint
Dim Constraints(1) as Object
Dim i as integer
Dim j as integer
Dim k as integer
Dim loc as integer
Dim rows as integer
Dim cols as integer
Dim counter as integer
Dim counter2 as integer
Dim colScore as integer

smgr = GetProcessServiceManager()

rem CHOOSING THE SOLVER
solv = CreateUnoService("com.sun.star.comp.Calc.NLPSolver.DEPSSolverImpl")
rem solv = CreateUnoService("com.sun.star.comp.Calc.NLPSolver.SCOSolverImpl")

solv.Document = oDoc

Sheet = oDoc.Sheets(0)

ConstrBin = com.sun.star.sheet.SolverConstraintOperator.BINARY
ConstrEqual = com.sun.star.sheet.SolverConstraintOperator.EQUAL

i = 0
counter=-1
counter2=-1
colScore=-1

rem reading the size of the problem
oCell = Sheet.getCellByPosition(0,0)
loc=oCell.Value
oCell = Sheet.getCellByPosition(0,loc+2)
rows=oCell.Value
oCell = Sheet.getCellByPosition(0,loc+4)
cols=oCell.Value

For i = 0 To rows
	For j = 0 To cols

	    oCell = Sheet.getCellByPosition(j,i)
    rem dinamically assigning variables and contraints (binary)
	If InStr(oCell.String,"<") <> 0 Then
		counter=counter+1
		counter2=counter2+1
		nchar=Len(oCell.String)
		ReDim Preserve Variables(counter) As Object
		Variables(counter) = oCell.CellAddress
		Constraint.Left = oCell.CellAddress
		Constraint.Operator = ConstrBin
		ReDim Preserve Constraints(counter2) As Object
		Constraints(counter2) = Constraint
		oCell.Value=1
	End If
		rem finding the score cell
	If InStr(oCell.String,"Score") <> 0 Then
	colScore=j+1
	End If
	rem assigning the score cell
	If j=colScore AND i=0 Then
	solv.Objective = oCell.CellAddress
	counter2=counter2+1
	Constraint.Left = oCell.CellAddress
	Constraint.Operator = ConstrEqual
	Constraint.Right = 0
	ReDim Preserve Constraints(counter2) As Object
	Constraints(counter2) = Constraint
	End If
	
    Next j
Next i

solv.Variables = Variables()
solv.Constraints = Constraints()
solv.Maximize = False
solv.SwarmSize = 2
If Round(counter/3) > 2 Then
	solv.SwarmSize = Round(counter)/3
End If
solv.LearningCycles=20000
solv.DECR=0.05
solv.DEFactorMin=0.1
solv.DEFactorMax=0.3
solv.AgentSwitchRate=1
solv.StagnationLimit=2
solv.Tolerance=100
solv.GuessVariableRange=false
solv.Solve()

cURL = ConvertToURL("C:\Users\bard\Desktop\testresults.ods")
Dim oPropertyValue As New com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue 
oPropertyValue.Name = "FilterName"
oPropertyValue.Value = "calc8"
oDoc.storeToURL( cURL, Array(oPropertyValue)) 

oDoc.Close(true)

End Sub

[robleyd]

Cross posted to AskLibreOffice

[FJCC]

Here is an example of using the non-linear solver in a macro. I have not worked through your code in detail. One thing I noticed is that you set the constraint on your objective cell to EQUAL. Try setting it to GREATER_EQUAL with the .Right of the constraint set to 0 and the .Maximize of the Solver set to FALSE. The code for Constraints(6) in my file uses that approach.

[MZ_Bard]

Thanks for the tips, I realized the problem was in a constraint. Now it's stagnating properly

Cheers