Discrete simulation by APL-GPSS: the best of two worlds

ABSTRACT

GPSS is a discrete simulation language, suitable for queuing systems.Its main advantage is that it is very easy to learn and easy to use, but its disadvantages are that it is very clumsy and also very restricted in its arithmetic (for example it is integer-valued and has very few mathematical functions).For this reasons we designed a GPSS emulator in APL which combines the simple and intuitive syntax of GPSS with the powerful calculation capabilities of APL.The product of this combination is the simulation package APL-GPSS.

REFERENCES

• 1: Batenburg,F.H.D.v., Lenteren,J.C.v., Alphen,J.J.M.v. & Bakker,K.(1983): Searching for and parasitization of larvae of Drosophila Melanogaster (Dipt.: Drosophilidae) by Leptopilina Heterotoma (Hym.: Eucoilidae): A Monte Carlo simulation model and the real situation. Netherlands Journal of Zoology 33 (3): 306--336; 1983.
• 2: Geoffrey Gordon, System Simulation, Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1977
• 3: IBM(1969): General Purpose Simulation System /360, User's manual. IBM H20-0326-2.
• 4: IBM(1976): APLGPSS for APL/VSAPL IBM SH20-1942 p-l-72
• 5: IBM(1981): IBM PL/I GPSS. Program description/operation manual. IBM 5796-PNN
• 6: Tuncay Saydam, Process-oriented simulation languages, ACM SIGSIM Simulation Digest, v.16 n.2, p.8-13, April 1985 [doi>10.1145/1102958.1102959]
• 7: Schmidt,B.(1981): Einfuering in die Simulation diskreter systeme mit hilfe eines FORTRAN programmapaketes. Springer p.l-534
• 8: Turlings,T.C.J., Batenburg,F.H.D.v. & Strien-v.Liempt,W.T.F.H.v. (1985): Why is there no interspecific host discrimination in the two coexisting larval parasitoids of Drosophila species: Leptopilina heterotoma (Thomson) and Asobara tabida (Nees) . Oecologia (Berlin) 67: 352-359

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING
      I.6.1 Simulation Theory
          Subjects: Types of simulation (continuous and discrete)*

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.2 Language Classifications

          Nouns: APL

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING
      I.6.2 Simulation Languages

          Nouns: GPSS

General Terms:
Design, Languages