Article:
Fischlin, A. & Ulrich, M., 1987. Interaktive Simulation schlecht-definierter
Systeme auf modernen Arbeitsplatzrechnern: die Modula-2 Simulationssoftware
ModelWorks. In: Moeller, D.P.F. (ed.), Simulation in Biologie und Medizin.
Vieweg, Braunschweig, pp. 1-9.
English title: Interactive Simulation of Ill-defined Systems on Modern Working Stations - The
Modula-2 Simulation Software "ModelWorks"
Abstract:
Advanced personal computers and modern working stations have become ever increasingly popular. This has generated needs to use these types of machines for other than the most common tasks (like word processing and spreadsheets), for instance the simulation of non-linear systems. However, machine archtitectures as well as new user interfaces offered on many popular machines (e.g. the Macintosh) require new designs of the simulation software. Another reason to develop simulation software anew is, that the simulation on single user working stations with a graphically oriented man-machine interface is particularly well suited for a class of model systems not optimally supported by currently available simulation software. The modelling and simulation of these so-called ill-defined systems can profit heavily from an intensive man-machine interaction as offered by modern working stations. This paper describes some of the requirements for such a simulation software and the architecture of a prototype realisation called ModelWorks. The most important characteristics of ModelWorks are: Interactive simulation, a user interface with window, menu technique and a pointing device (mouse), support for an arbitrary numer and order of continuous, discrete time and mixed models limited only by the available memory, and the modular formulation of the model systems. All of ModelWorks has been written in Modula 2 and is based on the portability supporting Dialog Machine. Finally we report about first experiences, performance aspects and present a typical sample model.