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 SIMSCRIPT II.5 - Release Notes |
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1. Introduction
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SIMSCRIPT II.5 is available on IBM personal computers under Windows 2000, Windows NT and Linux Red Hat 7.3 operating system.
The latest versions contain the new integrated SIMSCRIPT II.5 compiler on all supported platforms, new development environment Simstudio, Command-line interface, New SIMSCRIPT II.5 Graphics and Database connectivity. All new enhancements have been added to SIMSCRIPT II.5 with an evolutionary approach while maintaining backward compatibility and preserving your investment.
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2. New Components
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SIMSCRIPT II.5 Simulation Studio (SimStudio) is a programming development environment which provides support for projects with hierarchical directories. It has more intuitive GUI, modern look-and-feel, and incorporates SIMSCRIPT II.5 Syntax Color-Coded Text Editor and all Graphical Editors for SIMSCRIPT II.5 Graphics. Simstudio is available on all supported SIMSCRIPT II.5 platforms: Windows 2000/NT, PC Linux and UNIX workstations.
Simstudio has structured organization of project directories and supports multiple routines in a file. New source file organization can easily be connected to a Configuration Management system of your choice.
Users, who were using Simlab for model development with previous SIMSCRIPT II.5 Releases, should see instructions how to export a project from Simlab and create a new project in SimStudio.
Figure 1. Simscript project opened in Simstudio.
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SIMSCRIPT II.5 Simulation Graphics is based on Java environment for enhanced portability. Current SIMSCRIPT Models, which use Simulation Graphics II, only need to be re-linked with the new graphics libraries. All graphical elements in graphics.sg2 library will work without any changes except bitmaps - they have to be converted to JPG.
New SIMSCRIPT II.5 Graphics uses JPG format, so bitmaps in .bmt and .xwd format have to be converted to JPG format.
New SIMSCRIPT II.5 Graphics includes the new redesigned Interactive Graphical Editors integrated with the Simstudio. They have standard look-and-feel as other PC Windows applications, improved menu and dialog editing capabilities, more intuitive GUI and are easier to use.
New SIMSCRIPT II.5 Graphics supports snapshots of the graphics window in encapsulated postscript and JPG. To create a postscript file click on the button PS in the upper right-hand corner of the graphics window. To create JPG file press Shift and click on PS at the same time.
Details how to create graphical elements using Simstudio and how to use them in SIMSCRIPT II.5 models, you can find in SIMSCRIPT II.5 Graphics Users Manual and in Simstudio on-line Help.
Figure 2. Simstudio - Graph editor.
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SIMSCRIPT II.5 Data Base Connectivity (SDBC) provides well-defined SIMSCRIPT II.5 Application Program Interfaces (APIs) to the major database systems on the market: Microsoft Access, SQL Server, Oracle, IBM DB2 and IBM Informix. SIMSCRIPT II.5 Data Base Connectivity User's Manual has details how to use it and SDBC Release and Installation Manual explain how to set-up and use it.
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3. Enhancements specific to PC Windows Platform
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New Command-line interface - The SIMSCRIPT II.5 compiler for the PC Windows platform now has a command-line interface. In addition to the model development using Simstudio, models can be also created using the same commands as on SIMSCRIPT II.5 UNIX/Linux platforms: simc, simld, simgld etc. More details on development SIMSCRIPT II.5 models using Command-line interface, you can find in SIMSCRIPT II.5 Users Manual.
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New file-management system - SIMSCRIPT II.5 file management, for the PC platform, was redesigned to allow multiple applications to read from a file that is in process of being written to. Multiple users can access/check output reports of the model during simulation run.
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Output redirection - Output from a model can be redirected to a file
a.exe > output.txt
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Improved Debugger - SIMSCRIPT II.5 Symbolic Debugger now has a resizable window that allows for better presentation of debugging information.
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Profiling - is now available on PC SIMSCRIPT II.5 Windows platform
To build bank.exe and bank.map for further profiling use -p compiler switch. To create profiling results in bank.lst, use proftime.bat command:
simc -G -p -o bank.exe *.sim
proftime bank
NOTE: don't use application executable file name with extension .exe, such as "proftime bank.exe"
SIMSCRIPT II.5 Release 3.0 is distributed on CD-ROM. It is also available for downloading from CACI WEB site. On-line SIMSCRIPT II.5 documentation is included on CD-ROM and on SIMSCRIPT WEB site. It is readable through Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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4. Installation Procedures
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Installation procedure allows standard installation of SIMSCRIPT II.5 system under a single arbitrary directory without root privileges. Installation procedure is automatic and very simple.
On PC Windows new SIMSCRIPT II.5 Release 3.0 can be installed in Program Files. It requires Microsoft C/C++ compiler version 6.0 which can also be installed in Program Files. Required Java run-time is automatically installed and environment variables are set by installation procedure.
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5. On-Line Documentation
SIMSCRIPT II.5 Release 3.0 is supported by the following documentation:
All SIMSCRIPT II.5 documentation is updated and converted to .PDF format. It is available on-line on CACI Products Company WEB site and on your distribution CD-ROM under doc subdirectory. Documents can be viewed by Acrobat Reader.
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6. New Example Programs
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New and updated set of SIMSCRIPT II.5 example programs - is in directory sim_examples, located in directory where SIMSCRIPT II.5 is installed. There are several subdirectories:
sim_examples/__simstudio_projects - contains new and updated SIMSCRIPT II.5 examples, organized as Projects. From Simstudio, open some of these projects like calship. They all work using new SIMSCRIPT II.5 Graphics.
See the new Network Editor example - NetEdit. It can be used as a framework to jump-start building many simulation applications where you need to build a network of nodes and links by point-and-click. By changing palette icons, this editor can be used in many application areas: communication networks, computer networks, computer architecture, factory simulations, military simulations etc.
Figure 3. A simple netwotk example created with Network editor.
sim_examples/_simdemo - contains SIMSCRIPT II.5 examples which can be invoked using command simdemo. To try them open command window and type simdemo. Example programs will be copied to the directory simdemos.
sim_examples/_sdbc - contains example programs which illustrate SIMSCRIPT II.5 Data Base Connectivity.
sim_examples/_book_examples - contains example programs from the following text books:
"Introduction to Simulation using SIMSCRIPT II.5" by Averill M. Law, PhD
"Building Simulation Models using SIMSCRIPT II.5" by Edward C. Russell, PhD
"Introduction to Combined Discrete-Continuous Simulation Using SIMSCRIPT II.5 " by Abdel-Moaty M Fayek PhD
sim_examples/_simple_graphics - contains very simple, basic graphics examples, like: opening a graphics window, using icon as a background, reading from multiple graphics libraries, etc.
sim_examples/_advanced_graphics - contains small examples which illustrate usage of some advanced graphics features like: setting graph attributes at run-time, creating tree object etc.
sim_examples/_non_graphics - contains small simulation examples with textual input and output.
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7. Recompilation requirements
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SIMSCRIPT II.5 models built with the previous releases have to be recompiled and relinked with SIMSCRIPT II.5 Release 3.0.
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8. CACI Web Site
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9. Contacting Technical Support
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Questions regarding the installation, application, or use of this product should be directed to the CACI Technical Support Hotline. When contacting CACI for technical support, please include the following:
Serial number of the product
Your name and the name of your organization
An alternate method of contacting you
Name of product and release number
Name and release of operating system/windowing system
For Technical Support in North and South America, your central point of contact is:
CACI Products Company
1011 Camino Del Rio South, suite 230
San Diego, California 92108
(619) 542-5224 [Voice]
(619) 692-1013 [FAX]
simscript@caciasl.com [Email]
For on-line technical support please fill the form at:
www.caciasl.com
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APPENDIX:
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TRANSITIONING to SIMSCRIPT II.5 Release 3.0
1. Running Previous and the New SIMSCRIPT Release 3.0 on the Same Computer
Simlab and Simstudio can not work at the same time on the same computer system. During transitioning period, it would be best if you can have Simlab running in one computer and Simstudio running on the other computer. If that is not your option, you do not have to un-install the previous SIMSCRIPT II.5 version.
Before you start using Simstudio, just rename directory where your previous SIMSCRIPT II.5 version was installed. For example if your previous SIMSCRIPT version was installed in C:\SIMSCRIPT,
Rename C:\SIMSCRIPT to C:\SIMSCRIPT_KEEP
This will avoid the conflict.
Also, before you start using your Simlab again, rename the directory where your Simstudio is installed. For example, if your Simstudio was installed in C:\Program Files\Simscript,
Rename C:\ Program Files\Simscript
to C:\ Program Files\Simscript_keep
This way, you will not have to uninstall the previous SIMSCRIPT II.5 Release from your system and to change your environment variables.
2. Transferring SIMSCRIPT II.5 models from Simlab to Simstudio
New SIMSCRIPT II.5 development environment, Simstudio, supports building SIMSCRIPT II.5 graphical and non-graphical models. It uses New SIMSCRIPT II.5 Graphics.
SIMGRAPHICS II models:
New SIMSCRIPT II.5 Graphics is compatible with the former SIMGRAPHICS II, so models which used SIMGRAPHICS II can be transferred to the new Simstudio. They will be linked with the new graphical libraries based on java. All SIMGRAPHICS II icons, graphs and forms contained in graphics.sg2, will work with the new SIMSCRIPT II.5 graphics. Only bitmaps (.bmt and .xwd) have to be converted to .jpg format.
SIMGRAPHICS I models
Models which use former SIMGRAPHICS I can not be developed using Simstudio. Developers who want to link with SIMGRAPHICS I libraries should use provided command-line interface for development and linking with SIMGRASPHICS I libraries. Command line interface is explained in the SIMSCRIPT II.5 User's Manual and in Simstudio on-line Help. Commands which should be used for linking SIMGRAPHICS I are: simgld1 and tsimgld1.
Simstudio supports structured directory structure. Project source code is contained in directory sources, where you can create multiple hierarchical subdirectories. Executable environment is contained in subdirectory executable, which contains model executable, graphics.sg2 and input data files.
Simstudio also accepts multiple routines in one file.
If you have a model with multiple routines in a file and would like to split them one-routine-per-file you can use new SIMSCRIPT II.5 command simsplit from a command window. It will input the file with multiple routines and will create multiple files with only one routine per file. Every new file will be named similarly to the routine it holds.
If you have previously used Simlab to develop SIMSCRIPT II.5 models, you can transfer your models to Simstudio in the following way:
1. Using Simlab, perform Project->Export to create model_name.src
2. Decide where your new Simstudio project will be located (create a project directory).
3. In this project directory create three subdirectories: sources, executable and temp. Rename model_name.src to model_name.sim and place it in subdirectory sources.
4. Copy your graphics.sg2 and other input data files to subdirectory executable.
5. Using Simstudio perform Project->New to create new project in the project directory
6. Use Project->Update Project Tree to load the sources into the new project.
7. Select Project options using Options->Project
8. Use Project->Rebuild All to build the project
This way all your sources will be placed in one source file.
If you want your sources to be split one-routine-per-file you can open command window, go to project directory sources and use command:
9. simsplit model_name.sim
10. Rename model_name.sim to model_name.sim_org or move the file outside of the project directories
11. Perform step 6 to load the new sources into the project and step 8 to rebuild the project.
Your model should be reloaded into the project tree. It contains all routines in files, named similarly to routine names.
For details how to use Simstudio for developing SIMSCRIPT II.5 models, see SIMSCRIPT II.5 Users Manual, SIMSCRIPT II.5 Graphics Manual and Simstudio on-line Help.
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