PackageDescription: Simulations(Bundle)
SimulationsLast published: March 2, 2024 by 'markr'
Simulations is a framework for modeling discrete, event-driven simulations.
The classes in this bundle are discussed in Part III of "Smalltalk-80: The Language and Its Implementation" (1983).
In addition, some corrections to the original Blue Book code have been copied from: Irwin, Warwick. "A Smalltalk Network
Queuing Simulator" (Univ. of Canterbury). Irwin also explores a number of DEMOS-derived enhancements, though they
have not been added to this code bundle. DEMOS is a Simula-based modelling context developed by Graham Birtwistle.
Overview
A simulation is a representation of a system of objects in a real or fantasy world.
The purpose of creating a computer simulation is to provide a framework in which to understand the simulation situation.
Various kinds of probability distributions are used to determine arrival times of objects, such as customers, into a simulation;
they are also used to randomly select response or service times for workers in a simulation.
The example class SimulationObject represents any kind of object that enters into a simulation in order to carry out
one or more tasks; class Simulation represents the simulation itself and provides the control structures for admitting
and assigning tasks to new SimulationObjects.
This framework of classes support the creation of simulations that use consumable, nonconsumable, and/or renewable resources.
They also provide a number of ways in which a programmer can gather statistics about a running simulation.