6. Conclusion

This article has presented a number of important issues concerning integrated interactive programming environments, especially with respect to the MathModelica environment for object-oriented modeling and simulation. We have especially emphasized environment properties such as integration and extensibility.

One of the current strong trends in software systems is the gradual unification of documents and software. Everything will eventually be integrated into a uniform, perhaps XML-based, representation. The integration of documents, model code, graphics, etc. in the MathModelica environment based on Mathematica capabilities is one strong example of this trend.

Another important aspect is extensibility. Experience has shown that tools with built-in extensibility mechanisms can cope with unforeseen user needs to a great extent, and therefore often have a substantially longer effective usage lifetime.

The MathModelica system integrated with Mathematica is currently one of the best existing examples of advanced integrated extensible environments. However, as most systems, it is not perfect. There are still a number of possible future improvements in the system including enhanced programmability and extensibility.