Multiprogramming with ER nets

ER nets are an extension of Petri nets and suitable for finding solutions to a wide spectrum of problems. The author´s idea is to use ER nets not only in the early stages of software development (e.g. specification and simulation), but also for real application-execution. The author suggests the use of a virtual computer, based upon ER formalism, ensuring an adequate environment for the entire application life cycle. The reason for such a decision was the good results obtained in Tools Manager development (J. Strucl, 1990), within the framework of the NETwork project (M. Braga et al., 1990). The high-level Petri nets represent parallel tasks in a very intuitive way and thus are regarded as natural tools for solving a wide range of problems. The vision is an environment for the work with ER nets where these are used for problem specification, simulation, prototype building, for final program, support tools, the environment in which the individual stages are not separated, but they are intermingled and represent an entity. The prototype may thus at the same time be the final program, and specification also the documentation