Simulation Software

In this chapter, we first discuss the history of simulation software. Simulation software has a history that is just reaching middle age. We base this history on our collective experience, arti cles written by Professor Richard Nance, and panel discussions at the annual Winter Simulation Conference. Next, we discuss features and attributes of simulation software. If you were about to purchase simulation software, what would concern you? Would it be the cost, the ease of learning, the ease of use, or would it be the power to model the kind of system with which you are concerned? Or would it be the animation capabilities? Following the discussion of features, we discuss other issu and concerns related to the selection of simulation software. Software used to develop simulation models can be divided into three categories. First, there are the general-purpose programming languages, such as C, C++, and Java. SeconT,Wefe are simulation programming languages, examples being GPSS/H T M , SIMAN V and SLAM O. Third, there are the simulation environments. This category includes many products that are distin guished one way or another (by, for example, cost, application area, or type of animation), but have common characteristics, such as a graphical user interface and an environment that supports all (or most) aspects of a simulation study. Many simulation environments contain a simulation programming language, but some take a graphical approach similar to process-flow diagramming.) In the fii-st category, we discuss simulation in Java. Java is a general-purpose programming language that was not specifically designed for use in simulation. Java was chosen since it is widely used and widely available. Today very few people writing discrete-event simulation models are using programming languages atone; however, in certain application areas, some people are using packages based on Java or on another general-purpose language. Understanding how to develop a

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