WebServer Editions
Applicability: Cranium, Synapse (core version 0325+)

The WebServer editions of both Cranium and Synapse provide physical property data, estimates, molecular structures, graphs, and other information over the internet. A simple JSON "query form" is used to request constant, temperature-dependent, and temperature-pressure-dependent physical properties for pure chemicals and mixtures. The form is processed by the WebServer Edition and returned for further processing and display

The video to the right provides a brief overview of the WebServer Edition.

WebServer Edition Processing
The WebServer Edition provides physical property data and estimates via the internet to another application. Often, this "other application" is a webpage but it also could be a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, a MATLAB program, a Python program, or any application that can make requests for information via the internet. The diagram below details the five-step interaction process between the user, the interface application, and the WebServer Edition of Cranium or Synapse:
  1. A user looks for physical property data and estimates on a webpage. This webpage could be a company-internal webpage or a third-party webpage.
  1. The interface application prepares a JSON-formatted request for these property values and sends it to the WebServer Edition of Cranium or Synapse. Again, the WebServer Edition may be running on your company's server or somewhere else in the cloud.
  2. The WebServer Edition retrieves knowledge base data and performs calculations.
  3. The WebServer Edition packages these results into a JSON-formatted response and then sends it back to the interface application.
  4. The interface application formats this response and displays the retrieved data, estimates, and graphs to the user.
API Documentation
The WebServer Edition processes requests and generates responses that may contain numerous chemicals, mixtures, properties, temperatures, pressures, composition, and units. The WebServer edition manages this complexity of possible requests and responses by using a hierarchy of JSON objects. Our online documentation explains how to use these objects.
Example JSON-Formatted Response
Working with Excel, MATLAB, Python

We are preparing "translation code" for use in Excel, MATLAB, and Python that can be used to convert the JSON produced by the WebServer Edition into class instances that can be used natively within each of these applications. Please contact us if you would like more information on these developments or have any suggestions on what we should include.

Example Python Translation Code
Related Documentation
Topic Description
Getting Started using Cranium provides a quick tour of Cranium's capabilities including physical property estimation and a discussion of structure editing.
Getting Started using Synapse provides a quick tour of Synapse's capabilities including examples of chemical product design.