Representing resources in petri net models: Hardwiring or soft-coding?

This paper presents an interesting design problem in developing a new tool for discrete-event dynamic systems (DEDS). A new tool known as GPenSIM was developed for modeling and simulation of DEDS; GPenSIM is based on Petri Nets. The design issue this paper talks about is whether to represent resources in DEDS hardwired as a part of the Petri net structure (which is the widespread practice) or to soft code as common variables in the program code. This paper shows that soft coding resources give benefits such as simpler and skinny models.