How easy is SLX to learn?
As with most things in life, it depends. We recommend learning SLX from the bottom up. There are only 8-10 lowest-level simulation primitives (depending on what you think counts as a simulation primitive). Simple models can be constructed using only four of these primitives. In the textbook Simulation Using SLX, we introduce SLX modeling in a sequence of eight small exercises of increasing complexity. These eight exercises cover the most important simulation primitives. Once you have mastered this small collection of primitives plus a few others, you can simulate virtually anything. As you move on to higher level language constructs, you will already have an understanding of their underpinnings. This approach to teaching SLX differs from traditional teaching methods. The usual approach to teaching/learning simulation is to start out with higher-level constructs, develop familiarity with their operation, and only at the end – if ever – explore how they really work. The bottom-up approac
