Welcome to the homepage of PythonDEVS-BBL (Building Block Library)!

This library contains a set of DEVS building blocks that fit together like puzzle pieces, all of them running on top of the Python(P)DEVS kernel. They propose a lot of functionality as a black box. With them, anyone can make models quickly, efficiently and fluently. No need to focus on the individual components anymore, allowing users to give 100% of their attention to the system they're modelling!

This page is meant to provide a general overview on the library and does not contain a full documentation of the building blocks. The exact documentation is located in docs/_build/html in the repository of the code (which also contains the code for the BBL). Seeing as the idea behind most components is rooted somewhere in the literature study, it's recommended to take a look there for more information behind the reasoning of certain building blocks.

Based on some ideas taken from the old set of building blocks, combined with some brand new ideas based on existing tools, a new set of building blocks came to be. Below, an overview of these blocks (and their categories are given). Note that these blocks do not allow for parallelism.

PythonDEVS-BBL		GPSS2DEVS
Generators Constant Generator Generates a stream of constant numbers. Function Generator Generates a stream of numbers, following a function. Table Generator Generates a stream of numbers w.r.t. a given table. Single Fire Generates a single value once. Bulk Generator Turns a number into a stream of items. Random Number Generator (RNG) Generates a randomized stream of numbers. Random Delay Generator (RDG) Generates numbers w.r.t. an arithmetic sequence whose inter-arrival times are randomized. Queues Simple Queue Waiting line without automatic dequeues. Queue Tracker Keeps track of the contents of a waiting line. Queue Waiting line with automatic dequeues. Retain Remembers an item until the next arrival. Advance Advances an item w.r.t. its predefined delay. Collectors Collector Obtains the sum, sum of squares, mean, variance and standard deviation of a stream of numbers. Estimate Collector Estimates the minimum, maximum, median, Q1 and Q3 values of a stream of numbers. Table Collector Collects all inputted values. Counter Counts the amount of items that passed through. Mathematics Adder Adds all inputs together. Multiplier Multiplies all inputs. Equation Executes a function on a set of inputs. Differentiator Computes the differential of a set of inputs. Integrator Integrates a stream of inputs. Random Associates a random value to an input.	Routing Finish Endpoint of a model. Halt Endpoint of a model, with the possibility of halting a simulation. Choose Input Picks one of multiple inputs. Choose Output Chooses one of multiple outputs. Pick Keeps track of busy/available paths. Guard Guards a critical section from too many accesses. Gate Blocks or grants access to a submodel. Delayer Delays an item w.r.t. its value. Timer Delays an item w.r.t. a predefined delay. Sync Syncs multiple messages together. Transformers Transformer Transforms an item into another. Lookup Table Transforms an item into another w.r.t. a table. Pack Groups items together into a Package. Unpack Extracts the contents of a Package. Input/Output Logger Logs an input w.r.t. the syslog protocol. Emergency Logger with severity 0. Alert Logger with severity 1. Critical Logger with severity 2. Error Logger with severity 3. Warn Logger with severity 4. Notice Logger with severity 5. Info Logger with severity 6. Debug Logger with severity 7. File Writer Writes an input to a file. File Reader Reads a file. Listener Listens to an external value.	Building Blocks ASSIGN MARK SEIZE RELEASE PREEMPT RETURN ENTER LEAVE QUEUE DEPART TABULATE LINK UNLINK ADVANCE Functional Blocks Facility Storage Chain Queue Table Control Blocks Hold Controller

The original idea of the library was mainly based on ExtendSim. This was later altered w.r.t. other tools for discrete-event modeling (both DEVS and non-DEVS). Components highlighted in khaki were uncertain blocks (i.e. they might have been added, or they might not). This list is mainly for historical purposes. The updated set of building blocks is given above.