[Repast-developer] RePast/FAST Integration!

[North, M. <no...@an...>]

Loyal RePaster's:

I've completed the initial code to integrate the Flexible Agent Simulation
Toolkit (FAST) scheduler into RePast.  The two resulting versions of the
RePast code have been produced as follows:

Version 1:  This version replaces RePast's integer time steps with a double
precision numbers.  Furthermore, the new scheduler "fast forwards" to the
next scheduled event al a discrete event simulation instead of counting over
empty intervals.  A "stepSize" parameter has been added to MouseTrap as an
example.  This version has been committed to the RePast SourceForge
repository on the main branch.  I have done basic testing of this version,
but further testing is required before the updates can be generally used.
Nick and I (and other volunteers! Hint! Hint!) plan to further test Version
1 before looking at Version 2, to simplify the testing process.  

Version 2: This version builds on Version 1 and adds multi-threading to the
scheduler.  The new scheduler dispatches threads from a dynamic thread pool.
Multi-threading is currently implemented only for BasicActions executed
directly through ActionGroups, such as is done by Controller.  I will add
multi-threading of dynamically compiled BasicActions (i.e.. to
ByteCodeBuilder.generateBasicActionForList()) when the core multi-threading
code in Version 2 is fully tested (Leading to Version 3!).  A "stepSize"
parameter has been added to MouseTrap as an example.  This version will be
committed to the RePast SourceForge repository on the main branch when
Version 1 is fully tested.

As a note, I have rewritten the FAST routines to fully integrate into RePast
so no new classes where added.  Quite a few classes where changed however!

RePaster Michael

Michael J. North
Software Engineer
Argonne National Laboratory
Decision and Information Sciences Division
Complex Adaptive Systems Section

9700 S. Cass Avenue
Argonne, IL 60439

E-mail: no...@an...
Telephone: (630) 252-6234
Facsimile: (630) 252-6073