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delay function
Is there any good reason why none of the delay functions are listed on http://www.simulistics.com/help/equations/builtin.htm? Took quite a while and some guessing to figure out that the functions do exist in Simile. In fact in addition to var_delay and const_delay there is also simply a delay function, which is not documented anywhere, but - surprise - works. Would be really nice if this could be fixed.
Also note that in contrast to Stella, apparently, there is no way to control the values that are given to the delayed variables during the initial time steps, when they are undefined. Looks like they are set to zero and if you need this to be different, you'll need to do it yourself, using something like:
if time()<delay_time then 12.5 else const_delay(N,delay_time)
Right?
The delay functions
The delay functions (var_delay and const_delay) are listed in Built-in functions : Model properties, a child page of Working with equations : Built-in functions ( http://www.simulistics.com/help/equations/builtin.htm).
We could either make the list on the main function page (Working with equations : Built-in functions) fit with its description as a list of all functions except trigometric, or list further exceptions and where they are listed.
Your expression to provide an intial value for the variable before the delayed value comes through is correct. We'll add that tip to the documentation.
Thanks for pointing those documentation issues out.
Jonathan
By the way, I have also enabled "comments" on all the function list pages, for some of the pages it was turned off.
Thanks, but I think it would
Thanks, but I think it would be a good idea to add those functions to the list of all functions. You do mention that the trig functions are listed separately, but there is no clue that the list is not full and one needs to keep searching on the 'child' pages for other functions as well. You don't want to know how much time I've spent looking for this simple function. When I was totally frustrated I just typed delay(x,y) in the equation and THAT worked. Only then I did a global search for 'delay' and finally found the two documented functions described.
Alphabetical function list to be updated.
Thanks for drawing this to our attention. The introduction at the top of the page has been amended to point out that the list is incomplete and updating the list now underway.