Application programming interface for measuring devices

Abstract

An application programming interface (API) that provides a common interface between an application program and plural different types of color measuring devices each having at least one color measuring sensor. The API includes plural functions for operating any of the plural different types of color measuring devices. In order to complete an operation performed by at least one of the plural functions, the function that performs the operation must be called a number of times which is different for at least two different types of color measuring devices. For a particular color measuring device, the API provides the application program with flow control data of the number of times that the function must be called. This flow control data preferably can be provided by the function, in the form of a call-again value or as a numerical value, or by a separate function in the API such as a get-device-capabilities function. In some embodiments of the invention, a combination of these methods of providing the flow control data is utilized. Preferred functions for operating any of the plural different types of color measuring devices include a calibrate-position function, a calibrate-sensor function, a move-to-patch function, and a make-measurement function.