A knowledge-based approach to encouraging reuse of simulation and modeling programs

The authors present a knowledge-based approach to encouraging the reuse of existing simulation and modeling programs. To get around the problems of poor interfaces and minimal documentation, they are: treating each existing program as an operator in a planning system; creating a knowledge base describing the goals each program achieves, the pre- and post-conditions of running the program, and its I/O behavior; and developing several tools that make use of this knowledge to automate the development of new interfaces, to assist the creation of scripts that achieve high-level user goals, and to allow potential reusers to view a graphical representation of the component´s role in solving high-level domain problems