Assessment and Evaluation of Software Development Platforms and Languages_3

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PLATFORM AND LANGUAGE EVALUATION FOR USE IN

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CONTINUOUS SIMULATION

SEAN ROBINSON


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Abstract This document outlines to necessary

qualities and technical requirements for a project

aimed at creating a continuous simulation of a

bicycle. The programming language C++ and

development platform Visual Studio 2010 is

evaluated with these items in consideration. Thisdocument concludes by indicating how feasible it

is to create this project using the tools described

and presents alternatives should there be a more

viable solution.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction .................................................. 2

2. Modularisation .............................................. 2

3. Mathematical Formula ................................. 2

4. Operating System.......................................... 3

5. .DLL Files ....................................................... 3

6. Conclusions ................................................... 3

Bibliography ........................................................... 3

1.INTRODUCTIONThe C++ language (1) is under consideration as it isone of the most widely used and powerful tools

available. While it can be used on a variety of

platforms, the dedicated IDE Visual Studio (2) is

the usual way in which to develop with this

language.

The criteria under consideration range from

fundamental technical requirements to more

abstract concepts that would benefit this project.

Details such as modularisation, support for

mathematical formula, operating systemcompatibility and the ability to develop the

solution as a .DLL file will all be considered.

The research undertaken will evaluate the way in

which the language and platform indicated

support the different criteria. A discussion

regarding the effectiveness of this support will

conclude with the most feasible solution.

Should these choices be deemed insufficient for

the needs, then other candidates will be

considered and subjected to a similar feasibility

test.

2.MODULARISATIONThe most critical factor in this project, with regardto structure, is modularisation. Many of the

equations or solutions are highly generalised and

can be used for a variety of different situations. In

order to promote code reuse within this project

and also for component reuse externally, it is

important to ensure that solutions remain distinct

and independent from the overall solution.

Through this, solutions can be reused for different

scenarios.

An example of this structure is integration. Whenplotting the course of objects through a

simulation, integration is used to derive new

positions based on factors such as velocity and

current position. There are several situations

where integration can be used, such as integrating

the velocity based on acceleration and position

based on velocity. To promote reuse, a general

solution can be developed and then used for both

problems.

C++ supports modularisation in several ways. Themost fundamental structural advantages here are

methods and classes. By encapsulating general

solutions in classes and general equations into

functions, either internal or external to those

classes, a library of abstract solutions can be

developed to support both this application and

others (3).

Modularisation also lends itself well to unit testing.

By decomposing overarching problems into

individual and general tasks, unit tests can easily

be developed and applied (4). This decomposition

supports the project methodology being applied

elsewhere in the application.

3.MATHEMATICAL FORMULAIt is important to note that this application

amounts to a limited scope physics engine simply

concerned with the propulsion and steering of a

bicycle. This in turn, indicates significant use of

mathematical and physical mechanics. The

language used to create this application must be


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able to allow a developer to make use of

mathematical formula in order to successfully

model these equations.

It should be noted that this is an evaluation of built

in functionality and not simply the ability to createthe appropriate functionality using the language.

Almost any language will support basic arithmetic

functions and it is unknown which specific

equations will need to be used until further

research has been undertaken. The most basic

requirements that can be extrapolated initially

include the use of trigonometric functions for

calculating the gradient of a slope and possibly

equations of a circle for use with the steering

methods.

Pre-existing libraries bundled with the C++

language provide extensive mathematical ability

that can be utilised throughout this project (5).

This reduces the volume of code to be written and

therefor, reduces elements that require testing.

4.OPERATING SYSTEMThe system that will be running this project is

Windows 7; the output of this project will need tobe in a format that this operating system can use.

In addition to running the output, it is advisable to

develop the solution in the operating system that

it is being built for.

As Visual Studio 2010 is a Microsoft product, there

is no difficulty in it running on their standard

operating system (6). It is also clear that the

output .DLL file will run with the existing system,

this is covered in more detail under the following

.DLL Files section.

5..DLLFILESThis project will generate a suite of classes that

provide the functionality specified. Although they

could simply be generated as separate .CPP files, in

order to provide a high level of modularisation and

protection for the software, the solution will be

built as a .DLL file that can be used in the existing

simulation software.

Visual Studio 2010 provides functionality to build a

solution that outputs a .DLL file by default (7). As

long as the relevant access points in the .DLL are

properly exported and the .DLL file is referenced

within the existing system, there is no difficulty

and only a very small difference in building theproject in this manner.

6.CONCLUSIONSIt has been shown that the Visual Studio 2010

package in conjunction with the C++ language is an

ideal choice for building this project as it satisfies

all of the criteria indicated.

Modularisation was an important criterion to

consider so that the output of this project willremain a protected, general solution with

extended elements pertinent to this specific case.

It has been found that C++ meets these needs very

well.

Support for mathematical formula has been found

to be extensive and more than capable for the

needs of this project.

The development criteria required of the Visual

Studio 2010 package indicated that an output becompatible with Microsoft Windows 7 and have

the ability to develop the solution as a .DLL file.

This paper has documented that the chosen

platform does indeed conform to these standards.

Based on the satisfactory way in which both the

language and platform chosen fulfil the criteria

indicated, this project will be developed in C++

using the Visual Studio 2010 package. The solution

will be built as a .DLL file and then referenced in

the existing simulation package.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1

.

Microsoft. Microsoft.com. [Online].; 2010 [cited

2011 01 28. Available from:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-

us/vstudio/hh388567.

2

.



http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-


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gb?wt.mc_id=src-n-gb-Non-loc-F7-NonGA.

3

.

Balagurusamy E. Object Oriented Programming

with C++. 7th ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill;

2007.

4

.

Michaelis M. Microsoft.com. [Online].; 2005

[cited 2012 01 28. Available from:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-

us/library/ms379625(v=vs.80).aspx.

5

.

CPlusPlus. www.cplusplus.com. [Online]. [cited


http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/clibrary/cmath/.

6

.

Catalyst. Catalyst. [Online].; 2012 [cited 2012 01

28. Available from:

http://www.catalyst.com/products/sockettools/

windows7.html.

7

.


2012 01 28. Available from:http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-

us/library/ms235636.aspx.

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