OpenDSS is packaged with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) which provides a structured environment for the creation and analysis of power system cases. The GUI is one of two primary methods users can interact with the OpenDSS solution engine; the other is via the COM interface which is discussed in the section Introduction to the COM Interface of this manual.


It should be noted that the GUI is more of a tool to aid with analysis of OpenDSS circuits and the creation and debugging of scripts (see The Basics of the OpenDSS Scripting Language) rather than a replacement for scripting. Communication to the DSS is fundamentally accomplished through text strings passed to the OpenDSS command processor. Scripts or script fragments are executed by:


1. Selecting the script lines to be executed.

2. The user can then right-click on the selection and then click on the Do Selected option, which has a short-cut key of Ctrl‐D.

3. The selection may also be executed from the Do menu or the speed button directly below the Do menu item.


All commands executed via the GUI have a counterpart in the OpenDSS scripting language. it can be acceded thought the Command and Element Properties Reference, accessible with the GUI through Help > OpenDSS Help. One can also record the actions performed in the GUI to a .dss file using the record commands tool under Edit > Record Script.