A procedure for the generation of a class of simulation models from databases

Abstract

This paper shows the potential of using a higher level language, such as BASIC, to automatically generate syntactically correct simulation models from functional databases. The resulting models may then be executed directly by the general purpose simulation language of choice. The procedure is primarily developed for assembly line operations. However, it can be readily extended to network-based situations of the PERT/CPM type and MRP types. The proposed approach is based on the observation that although the simulation logic of network-based models is generally simple, the structure of such models is highly input-data dependent. In the context of most general purpose simulation languages, this dependence usually necessitates making changes in the simulation model itself to accommodate the new structure of the network. Such "custom" changes impede both the ease of maintenance and the portability of the model. The outgrowth of pursuing the use of higher level language to generate executable simulation models encompasses many of the goals inherent in the simulation language work, including little or no programming and ease of maintenance and verification. The power of the process comes from having to model the problem generically only once by using a suitable higher level language model generator. Specific situations are then accounted for simply by changing the input data to the model generator.