A Guide to GPSS/H Resources on the Web

GPSS/H is a simulation modeling language and application largely used to be models of organizational processes. It has been in use for nearly 50 years. An example of a process that might lend itself to GPSS/H modeling is the use of checkout lines at a retail location. Using historical data and assumptions, one can build a model that approximates the various variables in a retail location relating to purchasing time, and can also, using predefined parameters, provide a number of key outcomes, such as the amount of time spent shopping, the use of express lines, the total time spent in the store, and other useful information. It is relatively easy, even given complex and involved parameters, to code and simulate models using this tool.

If you're looking to learn about the simulation modeling language GPSS/H-either its history, or how to use it, there are, unfortunately, few helpful resources on the Web. What follows is a list of the most helpful:

Wolverine Software is a software developer that created early versions of GPSS/H for a variety of different computing environments. They continue to do so to this day. Their website offers a student version of GPSS/H on their Downloads page, which is where you should start if you are looking to learn the language. The student download also comes with another simulation package known as SLX, which shares some key similarities with GPSS/H, as well as two packages that allow you to animate your models, Proof 5 and Proof 3D. The Simulation page provides a helpful, albeit brief, overview of the simulation model-building process.

A professor named Thomas Schriber has put up a book called An Introduction to Simulation Using GPSS/H here. Each chapter is in PDF format. It's very comprehensive in terms of marrying various aspects of the theory and the actual models, although it doesn't include models for you to practice with.

This website has a good tutorial on running the program and building simple models from scratch.

I think this site, the GPSS World Reference Manual, is perhaps the best Internet resource for GPSSH. It's extremely comprehensive in terms of teaching the programming language. You may want to refer to some simulation books to understand the mathematical and statistical principles to design complex models, but once you have, the Manual will give you not only a good sense of how to build the model, but also a number of exercises with answers with which to practice.

Sources

A Comparison of SLX and GPSS/H for Experienced GPSS/H Users, Wolverine Software