SLX: the X is for extensibility

  • Authors:
  • James O. Henriksen

  • Affiliations:
  • Wolverine Software Corporation, Alexandria, VA

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 32nd conference on Winter simulation
  • Year:
  • 2000

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Abstract

SLX, Simulation Language with Extensibility, is the newest member in Wolverine Software's family of simulation and animation software. SLX features unique extensibility mechanisms that allow users to tailor and extend SLX's modeling capabilities. There are two advantages to extensibility. First, it ensures virtually unlimited adaptability. You'll never get "stuck" with a problem you can't solve with SLX. Second, extensibility allows packaging the use of highly efficient, low-level primitives in such a way that cumbersome details are hidden. Problems are described using nouns and verbs appropriate to the application. The tools provided for extending SLX include many of the tools used to develop SLX itself; however, these tools are by no means intended to be used exclusively by language developers. They are "user-level" tools that can be mastered by anyone. This paper presents an overview of SLX. Earlier papers (Henriksen 1997, 1998) presented the development of a conveyor modeling package in SLX, and example of how SLX has been coupled with other software, respectively.