SIMULA: an ALGOL-based simulation language
Communications of the ACM
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There is a need for a language and simulation system that computer systems designers (rather than programmers) can use to build and exercise models of computer systems. The major characteristics of such a language and system are presented. A brief overview of the Processor System Modeling (PSM) system, consisting of PSM language input, translation to Simscript, execution, and interactive post processor operation on a trace of the results, is outlined. The different types of statements in the language of the PSM system and their use are described. The major features of the language and system, which allow it to be used for constructing simple models quickly while still permitting complex systems and behavior to be simulated, are presented. Examples are used to demonstrate the use of these features, to illustrate the structure of the language, and to show its naturalness for the job of simulating computer systems. The reasons for having a post-processor rather than statistics gathering routines are given. The two types of queries that may be made through the post-processor, about sequential events and about statistics, are described and examples given.