Integration of the original software applications for mechanical engineering

Abstract

The paper presents some of the progresses recorded in the latest 35 years regarding the concepts, developments and applications of my original computer based research instruments. The identification of the original modelling concepts in mechanical engineering used original computer based instruments whose components are employed for: data visualisation, large matrices processing, parameterized calculus domains, parameterized solvers, arbitrary precision, interfaces between the software instruments and metaprogramming instruments. Data visualization was an important direction of development being used for the data validation and for the results’ interpretation. Several ‘sources’ of graphical facilities were identified and used over the time. Processing of the large matrices allowed the analyst to focus on the scientific problem to be solved, the data processing techniques being provided in background and leading to finer discretization and consequently, to more accurate results. Parameterized domains were used to define in a flexible way the calculus domain and the other input data. Moreover, the original interfaces allow the definition of the ‘common database’ concept, according to which several types of solvers may use the same ‘database’, i.e. the same set of input data. The parameterized solvers are original general software reusable solutions. The multiple precision allows the analyst to avoid some of the runtime errors, such as the overflow error and to get high accuracy results. The metaprogramming allows the user to easily integrate directly into the code the results of the previous data processing stage, which are expressed as a computer code. Several examples are given and some of the directions of future development are also presented.