SimQL results are intended to be used in information system which project into the future. Use of SimQL results in projection. The concept of SimQL is based on an approach that has been successful in databases, where 20 years ago file-programming comprised the major effort in writing software. Many techniques mere devised, often ad hoc, but some with substantial effort and solid ideas to make valuable data sharable and accessible by more than one application. The adoption of the SQL language as enabled database systems to be built and continually improved, independent of the user applications, and eventually reach a level of performance that today file-programming is rare.
Databases share with the applications a model, expressed in a schema or a view of the schema.
The language provides an algebraic capability in the interface so that alternate execution sequences can be devised that produce equivalent results faster or better by some measure. I observe that simulation is an area of great ferment with similar potential aa the dtabase area. At ARPA I solicited proposals for simulation access technology, but only one project was fundable. Nearly everyone wanted to write better simulations or devise better languages for writing simulations. The difficulty of composing software involving simulations is understood by many practitioners.