SEMoLa is a platform, developed at DISA since 1992, for system knowledge integration and modelling. It allows to create computer models for dynamic systems and to manage different types of information. It is formed by several parts, each dealing with different forms of knowledge, in an integrated way: a graphical user interface (GUI), a declarative language for modelling, a set of commands with a procedural scripting language, a specific editor with code highlighting (SemEdit), a visual modelling application (SemDraw), a data base management system (SemData), plotting data capabilities (SemPlot), a raster maps management system (SemGrid), a large library of random number generators for uncertainty analysis, support for fuzzy logic expert systems, a neural networks builder and various statistical tools (basic statistics, multiple and non-linear regression, moving statistics, etc.).
The core part of the platform is the declarative modelling language (SEMoLa; simple, easy to use, modelling language). It relies on System Dynamics principles and uses an integrated view to represent dynamic systems through different modelling approaches (state/individual-based, continuous/discrete, deterministic/stochastic) without requiring specific programming skills. SEMoLa language is based on a ontology closer to human reasoning rather than computer logic and constitutes also a paradigm for knowledge management.
SEMoLa platform permits to simplify the routinely tasks of creating, debugging, evaluating and deploying computer simulation models but also to create user libraries of script commands. It is able to communicate with other frameworks exchanging - with standard formats - data, modules and model components.
