Steve Lytinen and I just completed a new review of two software platforms: NetLogo 5.0 and ReLogo. We used methods similar to our 2006 platform review in Simulation: implementing a series of example models and comparing the programming experience, documentation, and execution speed. The results may be of interest especially to anyone who thinks NetLogo is particularly inefficient.
Information is at: http://www.swarm.org/index.php/Software_Reviews
Perhaps we should put a link to this in the CoMSES Net platforms page. Thoughts?
Michael Barton
Thanks for this review - it is very interesting and useful. I have used both NetLogo and Repast Simphony (both 1.2 and 2.0 beta). I have certainly found the incorporation of Groovy into Repast to be unhelpful - I find the interface “clunky” and the loose typing and subsequent runtime debugging infuriating. Hence, I have used Repast with the Groovy Nature switched off - in the plainest Java mode it allows.
I haven’t really used the ReLogo part of Repast as I was well advanced with my model before its release - but I have to agree that even the presentation of it within Eclipse is daunting for the novice. I have the advantage of years of software development behind me, but can’t imagine that the interface is at all friendly if approaching from a non software development background.
Your findings on speed of execution are especially interesting - I would certainly have assumed (along with many others I imagine) that speed would be the one area where ReLogo outperformed NetLogo.