@RISK Developer's Kit
Introduction
The @RISK Developer’s Kit (RDK) allows you to build Monte Carlo simulation models using Windows and .NET programming languages, such as C, C#, C++, Visual Basic or Visual Basic .NET.
The RDK offers access to the risk analysis and distribution fitting technology available in @RISK for Excel. It can be used to easily create custom applications that include Monte Carlo simulation, such as financial modeling tools, corporate financial systems, and industry-specific programs.
Unlike the Excel version of @RISK, the RDK does not require a spreadsheet to run simulations. This means user models can be larger and execute faster. All simulation results can be accessed programmatically, directly in the developer’s application. Two powerful charting engines – that of @RISK and Microsoft Excel with its extensive customisation capabilities – can be used to generate graphs of simulation results.
RDK applications can be run in a desktop, network server, or web environment. The RDK fully supports multithreading to allow the development of scalable web applications. Models built using the RDK can run simulations and generate results entirely in the user’s program or the @RISK Interface can be used to display reports and graphs on simulation results.
The RDK also includes the BestFit Developer’s Kit (BDK) which allows you to fit probability distribution functions to data in programs written in C, C#, Visual Basic, or other Windows or .NET programming languages. The BDK can be used to select probability distributions to be used in an RDK model based on historical or sampled data. Fitting distributions to data sets focuses a model and helps to accurately define the uncertain factors, thereby saving time and avoiding costly errors. All of the fitting methods, distribution functions, and many graphs in BestFit (which is integrated with @RISK Professional and Industrial editions) are included with the BDK. Using the BDK, you can develop your own custom applications that use the same sophisticated fitting techniques.