A Portable Process-Oriented Compiler For Event Driven Simulation

Abstract

Modern Simulation Program Generators (SPGs) must address four key issues: portability, user interface, consistency and extensibility. Portable SPGs allow the user to edit the model outside of the SPG giving the user the flexibility to add features not supported by the SPG. An SPG's user interface should mimic the user's perception of the system to be modelled. Often the user visualizes the model as a network diagram. The user interface and the SPG's consistency deter mine ease-of-use. SPGs should be developed under a standard environment to provide consistency between programs. They should be modular, to allow the code generator to be modified as new simulation tools are developed. Xsimcode addresses each of these issues. It is a portable SPG, providing flexibitity for experienced modelers. It uses a graphical, direct manipulation interface to represent the simulation model. A noun-verb dialogue limits the user's choices once an object is selected. As an X-Windows program, Xsimcode's interface is consistent with many other X-Windows programs. Xsimcode's user interface module and code generation module are separated by a data structure, allowing Xsimcode to be extended to support other simulation languages or ported to other windowing environments.

Keywords

Simulation Software SimPack Xsimcode Process Orientation Queuing Models

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Austin, Wanda M. & Behrokh Khosnevis . 1989. "Automatic Model Generation for Production-Distribution Systems using Natural Language," SIMULATION, May, 1989, 207-211.

Beck, Howard B. & Paul A. Fishwick. 1989. "Incorporating Natural Language Descriptions into Modeling and Simulation". SIMULATION, Volume 52, Number 3, March, pp. 102 - 109.

Beck, Howard B. & Paul A. Fishwick . 1991 "Natural Language, Cognitive Models and Simulation" In Paul A. Fishwick and Paul A. Luker , editors, Qualitative Simulation Modeling and Analysis, Springer Verlag, 1991.

Brown, Judith R. & Steve Cunningham . 1989. Programming the User Interface Principles and Examples, New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Conway, Richard , William L. Maxwell , & StevenWorona. 1986. User's Guide To XCell Factory Modelling System, Palo Alto, California: Scientific Press.

Crookes, John G. 1987. "Generators, Generic Models and Methodology," J. Operations Research Society, 38, 8, 765-768.

Fishwick, Paul A. 1992. "Simpack: Getting Started with Simulation Programming in C and C++" in 1992 Winter Simulation Conference, December 1992, Arlington, Virginia , 154-162.

Fishwick, Paul A. 1993 Simulation Model Design and Execution: Building Digital Worlds. Prentice Hall, Inc., 1993 (to be published).

Hartson, Rex. 1989. "User-Interface Management Control and Communication ," IEEE Software, January, 1989.

10.

Hutchins, E.L. , J.D. Hollan & D.A. Norman. 1986. "Direct Manipulation Interfaces,"in User Centered System Design: New Perspective In Human Computer Interaction , eds. D.A. Norman and S.W. Draper.

11.

Jacob, J.K. 1989. "Direct Manipulation in the Intelligent Interface ," in Intelligent Interfaces Theory Research and Design, eds. P.A. Hancock & M.H. Chignell. 165-212.

12.

Kantowitz, Barry H. 1989. "Interfacing Human and Machine Intelligence," in Intelligent Interfaces Theory Research and Design, eds. P.A. Hancock & M.H. Chignell. , 49-67.

13.

Langer, Klaus-Jurgen & Berndt Schmidt . 1987, "The Simulation System SIMPLEX-II A Model Construction and Experimentation Environment," in Proceedings of the European Simulation Multiconference, eds. H. Adelsberger & A. Broeck , 85-91.

14.

Law, Averill M. & Michael G. McComas . 1990. "Secrets Of Successful Simulation Studies," Industrial Engineering, 22, 5,47-72.

15.

Mathewson, Stephen C. 1974. "Simulation Program Generators," SIMULATION , December 1974,181-189.

16.

Mathewson, Stephen C. 1984. "The Application of Program Generator Software and Its Extensions to Discrete Event Simulation Modelling," IIE Transactions , 16, 1, 3-16.

17.

Murray, Karen J. & Sallie V. Sheppard. 1988. "Knowledge-based Simulation Model Specification," SIMULATION, 50, 3, 112-119.

18.

Ören, Tuncer I. & Bernard P. Zeigler. P. 1979. "Concepts For Advanced Simulation Methodologies," Simulation, March, 1979, 69-82.

19.

Paul, Ray J. & Sew Tee Chew. 1987. "Simulation Modelling Using an Interactive Simulation Program Generator," J. Operations Research Society , 38, 8, 735-752.

20.

Peterson, Chris D. 1989. Athena Widget Set - C Language Reference. Cambridge, Mass: Massachusetts Institute of Technology .

21.

Pruett, James M. & Vinay K. Vasudev . 1990. "MOSES: Manufacturing Organization Simulation and Evaluation System," SIMULATION, January 1990, 37-45.

22.

Schrorer, Bernard J. 1989. "A Simulation Assistant for Modelling Manufacturing Systems ," SIMULATION, November 1989, 201-206.

23.

Shannon, Robert E. 1987. "Present and Future Trends in Simulation," Proceedings of European Simulation Multiconference, XI-XVII.

24.

Shearn, D.C.S. 1990. "PASSIM-A Pascal Discrete Event Simulation Program Generator ," SIMULATION, July 1990,31-38.

25.

Subrahmanian, Eswaran & Robert L. Cannon , 1981. "A Generator Program For Models of Discrete-Event Systems ," SIMULATION, March 1981,93-101.

26.

Thomasma, Timothy & Onur M. Ulgen. 1988. "Hierarchical, Modular Simulation Modelling in Icon-based Simulation Program Generators for Manufacturing," in Proceedings of the 1988 Winter Simulation Conference , eds. M. Abrams, P. Haigh & J. Comfort, 254-262.

27.

Tseng, Fan T. , S.X. Zhang , John W. Wolfsberger , 1988. "Automatic Programming Assistant for Network Simulation Models," Proceedings of the 1988 Winter Simulation Conference, eds. M. Abrams, P. Haigh, J. Comfort, 240-245.

28.

Ulgen, Onur M. & Youyi Mao. 1989. "Object Oriented Toolkits for Simulation Program Generators," in Proceedings of the 1989 Winter Simulation Conference, eds. E.A. MacNair , K.J. Musselman, P. Heidelberger, 593-600.