simulation languages
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 1996 5:56 pm
I am developing large models that simulate agricultural development at the
regional level, taking into account agro-ecological as well as socio-economic
aspects. I also attempt to include interactions between various farm types.
The simulation that I use since quite a few years is DYNAMO.
Although I regularly read that DYNAMO is a user unfriendly, archaic
simulation language, I still use it for my research but also for my teaching.
The version that I now use can deal with large models and produces better
graphs under Windows.
Recently I compared it with STELLA and two in the Netherlands developed on
Fortran based programming environments.
I realize that I am biased because of the fact that I am so familiar with
DYNAMO, but for my purposes I still prefer the language.
An important advantage to me of DYNAMO is its array capability, a feature
that is lacking in many other simulation packages.
However I am still looking for a simulation package that offers additional
possibilities:
1. I would like to be able to run a model with two or more different time
steps, to simulate e.g. the process of farm income on an annual basis and the
hydrological dynamics on a weekly basis.
2. Tools that facilitate sensitivity analyses.
3. Statistical tools
I would be very grateful to receive suggestions for packages that include on
or more of these features.
Tjark Struif Bontkes
Dept. of Ecological Agriculture
Wageningen Agricultural University
The Netherlands
E-mail: Tjark.Struifbontkes@users.eco.wau.nl
regional level, taking into account agro-ecological as well as socio-economic
aspects. I also attempt to include interactions between various farm types.
The simulation that I use since quite a few years is DYNAMO.
Although I regularly read that DYNAMO is a user unfriendly, archaic
simulation language, I still use it for my research but also for my teaching.
The version that I now use can deal with large models and produces better
graphs under Windows.
Recently I compared it with STELLA and two in the Netherlands developed on
Fortran based programming environments.
I realize that I am biased because of the fact that I am so familiar with
DYNAMO, but for my purposes I still prefer the language.
An important advantage to me of DYNAMO is its array capability, a feature
that is lacking in many other simulation packages.
However I am still looking for a simulation package that offers additional
possibilities:
1. I would like to be able to run a model with two or more different time
steps, to simulate e.g. the process of farm income on an annual basis and the
hydrological dynamics on a weekly basis.
2. Tools that facilitate sensitivity analyses.
3. Statistical tools
I would be very grateful to receive suggestions for packages that include on
or more of these features.
Tjark Struif Bontkes
Dept. of Ecological Agriculture
Wageningen Agricultural University
The Netherlands
E-mail: Tjark.Struifbontkes@users.eco.wau.nl