DESMO-J is an object-oriented framework targeted at programmers developing simulation models. The acronym "DESMO-J" stands for "Discrete-Event Simulation and MOdelling in Java". This longer name highlights DESMO-J's two significant properties:

• DESMO-J supports the discrete-event simulation paradigm. In models of this type, all system state changes are supposed to happen at discrete points in time. Between such events the system state is assumed to remain constant. Discrete-event simulation is therefore particularly suitable for systems in which relevant changes of state occur suddenly and irregularly, like queueing networks for example.
• DESMO-J is implemented in Java. Using this framework to build simulation models ultimately results in writing a Java program.

If you are interested in DESMO-J's internal structure, have a look at the basic features page.

DESMO-J is based on a number of earlier DESMO systems, all developed at the University of Hamburg, Working Group Prof. Page, in the context of students' projects. The original DESMO, written 1989 in the programming language Modula-2, was inspired by DEMOS, a package for discrete-event simulation in Simula developed by Graham Birtwistle in 1979. Since 1999, when the core DESMO-J framework was completed, it has been extended in various aspects, e.g. to provide special components for the simulation of production systems or harbour logistics. DESMO-J is maintained by a team of developers headed by Prof. Page. Please refer to the version history if you are interested in DESMO-J's development in detail.