ADVANTAGES OF SPECIAL PURPOSE LANGUAGES

1. Simulation languages provide most (if not all) of the features needed in programming a simulation model resulting in a decrease in programming time which can often be significant. Generating random numbers, that is U (0,1) random variables. Generating random variables from a specified distribution. Advancing simulated time. etermining the ne!t event from the event list Adding records to, or deleting records from, a list. "ollecting and anal#$ing data. %eporting the results. etecting error conditions.

&. Simulation models are generall# easier to change when written in a simulation language. '. (he# provide better error detection because man# potential t#pes of errors have been identified and are chec)ed for automaticall#. Since fewer lines of code have to be written, the chance of ma)ing an error will probabl# be smaller. ("onversel#, errors in a new version of a simulation language itself ma# be difficult for a user to find.)

ADVANTAGES OF GENERAL PURPOSE LANGUAGES

1. *ost modelers alread# )now a general+purpose language, but this is often not the case with a simulation language. &. General purpose languages are available on virtual1# ever# computer, but a particular simulation language ma# not be accessible on the computer that the anal#st wants to use. '. An efficientl# written general purpose program ma# re,uire less e!ecution time than the corresponding program written in a simulation language. (his is because a simulation language is designed to model a wide variet# of s#stems with one set of building bloc)s, whereas general purpose program can be tailored to the particular application. -. General+purpose languages allow greater programming fle!ibilit# than certain simulation languages. .or e!ample, complicated numerical calculations are not eas# in G/SS.