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In GSP projects, model configurations and cases are managed using a powerful XML data inheritance mechanism. The Reference model represents the single root of the project from which adapted configurations are derived and saved as child nodes in the project tree. For a child node, only the data that deviate from the parent are stored. This means data storage size is minimized, data duplication avoided and loading and saving speed maximized.

 

When created/added underneath a parent, a child configuration initially is an exact copy of that parent and when saved, no XML data are actually stored. Only after adaptations, either directly by the user or indirectly by GSP as a result of other user actions, XML data identified as deviating from the parent is stored.

The deviating data can be seen in de Details panel view of the project window (the default location is next to the Model panel).

Underneath Configurations, Cases can be added which include input data for actual simulations. Configurations cannot be added under cases.

 

When this mechanism is understood and projects are carefully built after some analysis of the modeling and simulation objectives in advance, very efficient set-ups can be made. A well organized project inheritance structure offers a very efficient and survey-able modeling environment for a particular tasks. New cases and/or configurations can be easily added as sub-nodes and with minimal data entry efforts, simulations can be run and results analyzed. All model data is stored in the project, so one can always go back to a previous case to analyze results. Moreover, results from different cases can easily be compared in graphs by running cases and adding breaks or group-breaks in between the output table rows.

 

The following elements are found in the project tree in the project window:

•Project root node with optional project name

•Project Options

•Reference Model

•Configuration

•Case

 

Note that is is impossible to delete components that have been introduced somewhere in an ancestor. There is a single exception on this rule; case input data components may be deleted from Cases. This is justified by the fact that these components only describe the (operating) input data for the simulations, and have no effect on the configuration of the cycle. Case components which are deleted, are marked inactive; this means that the components are still present in the file, but not loaded or used by the case model.