====Connecting to an ARDI Server====

The first step in using the API is //connecting//.

This verifies that the server you want to talk to is available, and discovers critical information such as how to subscribe to live data.

To connect, you create a [[Server]] object, initialised with the address of the ARDI server and the site name you wish to connect to.

<code>
import ardi
server = ardi.Server("myardiip")  #This will connect to the 'default' site if none is specified
</code>

Then, call [[Server_Connect|Connect]] to establish the connection. This will return **False** if the connection failed, or **True** if the connection was successful.

<code>
if not server.Connect():
    print("ARDI Server Not Available")
    exit(0)
</code>

Now you're connected, you can [[Reading Live Data|Read Live Data]] or [[Making Queries|Make a Query]].