Webcall and Eikon Library Parallel Usage Not Possible?

amroeser · 2025-03-11T18:19:58+00:00

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Dear Dev Community,

I'm currently facing issues when trying to use both the Eikon Python library and direct Web API calls in parallel. The Refinitiv application runs continuously in the background, and while the Python library functions work as expected, direct API calls fail with authentication issues.

Eikon Initialization

The initialization is done using an API key from the environment variables (EIKON_API_KEY).
A proxy status check ensures that the Eikon proxy is active before proceeding.
After successful initialization, a test API call verifies the connection.
The Bearer token is automatically captured and stored.

Data Retrieval via the Python Library

Functions like ek.get_data() and ek.get_symbology() are used to retrieve data via the Eikon library.
These calls work consistently and return valid data.

Parallel Attempt: Direct API Calls to Refinitiv

I am also trying to access Refinitiv data via direct Web API calls.
A test endpoint was implemented to call:
https://api.refinitiv.com/user-framework/mobile/overview-service/v1/corp/filings/MBGn.DE using the current Bearer token.
However, when testing via curl, I receive the following error:

{  "success": false,  "message": "API request failed with status code: 401",  "details": "{\"error\":{\"id\":\"44c34bb1-2cab-4b0a-a856-b059ec3c783e\",\"code\":\"401\",\"message\":\"token expired\",\"status\":\"Unauthorized\"}}\n"}

The error "token expired" suggests that the Bearer token may not be valid for direct API calls or requires a different handling process.

Additional Questions:

Are the Bearer tokens for the Eikon Python library and Web API calls different? If so, how do they differ in terms of usage and expiration?
How can I authenticate via Web API calls without logging out the local Refinitiv application? When I try to authenticate via OAuth or another method, the active session is terminated, which causes the Python library to stop working. Is there a way to prevent this?
How can the token be refreshed for direct API calls without interrupting existing queries through the Eikon library?
Are there alternative endpoints or methods to access the required company data?

Any insights or solutions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your support! :)

Best regards,

Alex

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Gurpreet

Hello @amroeser

Which Python library are you using? And by direct API call, I am presuming you are making API calls to LSEG Data Platform (RDP).

From your description, it looks like you might be using a Platform Session in the library with the same credentials that you are using in the RDP REST (Web) calls. This might be invalidating the previous token. The solution is to use different credentials for both the applications.

If the Library calls are indeed requesting data from the local instance of Eikon/Workspace a.k.a Desktop Session, then this issue should not happen.

amroeser

Hello @Gurpreet!

I am using the Eikon Python library, version 1.1.18, and I initialize it as follows:

def _init_eikon_in_thread(api_key: str) -> tuple:    logger.info("=== Eikon Thread gestartet ===")    try:        ek.set_app_key(api_key)        test_isin = "DE0007100000"  # Mercedes-Benz Group AG        df = ek.get_symbology(            [test_isin],            from_symbol_type='ISIN',            to_symbol_type='RIC'        )        return True, df    except Exception as e:        logger.error(f"Fehler in Eikon Thread: {str(e)}")        handler.flush()        return False, str(e)

With this initialization, I can successfully retrieve data using the Eikon library. However, when trying to make a direct API call to https://api.refinitiv.com/user-framework/mobile/overview-service/v1/corp/filings/MBGn.DEError using the same credentials, I receive a 401 Unauthorized error.

Does the Eikon initialization (ek.set_app_key(api_key)) provide the necessary authentication for this API call, or do I need a separate authentication method (e.g., OAuth 2.0 via the Refinitiv Data Platform)? If so, should I use a different library instead of Eikon for this request?

Best regards,
Alex

Jirapongse

@amroeser

You can use the LSEG Data Libaray for Python.

I tested it and found the LSEG Data Libaray for Python can retrieve data from the endpoint (https://api.refinitiv.com/user-framework/mobile/overview-service/v1/corp/filings/MBGn.DE) with the desktop session (an application key) by using the following code.

import lseg.data as ld
from lseg.data.delivery import endpoint_request
ld.open_session()

filing_url = 'https://api.refinitiv.com/user-framework/mobile/overview-service/v1/corp/filings/MBGn.DE'

request_definition = ld.delivery.endpoint_request.Definition(
    url = filing_url,
    method = ld.delivery.endpoint_request.RequestMethod.GET
)
response = request_definition.get_data()
response.data.raw

The examples are on GitHub.

amroeser

Hello @Jirapongse!

Thank you for your response and for testing the LSEG Data Library for Python. I will try it out and see if it resolves the issue.

Would you recommend switching to the LSEG Data Library for all data retrieval tasks currently handled via the Eikon library, or does Eikon have advantages in certain use cases?

Best regards,

Alex

Jirapongse

Yes, I would recommend switching to the LSEG Data Library for Python because the Eikon Data API is quite old. The LSEG Data Library for Python provides more capabilities than Eikon Data API.

However, for some data, they use different endpoints to retrive data. It is better to test it before switching to the LSEG Data Library for Python.

amroeser

Thank you for the clarification. One last question: When I try to access the 'fileUrl' programmatically, the download fails due to an unexpected content type (text/html;charset=utf-8 instead of application/pdf). However, when I open the link in a browser, I need to sign in before I can access and download the file. Is there a way to automate this download using Python while handling authentication?

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