Simulation files store all aspects of a simulation so a simulation can be saved and continued at a later time. The simulation file is stored in a ASCII text file, allowing the user to modify it with almost any text editor in order to tailor a simulation to their liking. For information on the format and editing of simulation files see the sub-section Custom Simulation Sets.
If a simulation file is specified the program checks to see if it exists. If the simulation file is found then it is loaded and the simulation proceeds using that saved simulation as a starting point. If the specified simulation file is not found then an error message is displayed and a new simulation is started with the default settings. Trying to load an invalid simulation file will most likely result in a runtime error, or at the very least, undesirable results.
It is assumed that the <simulation-file> has an extension of .SIM and that the <log-file> has an extension of .LOG so they do not need to be included in the command line. If filenames with different extensions are included they are removed and replaced with either .SIM or .LOG. Example. “SE TEST.TXT FUN.CAP” would attempt to load simulation file TEST.SIM and start logging to FUN.LOG.
If the user wants to restore a simulation prior to an unsuccessful load, the running simulation is saved to a file named TEMP.$$$ each time a simulation is loaded for just such a reason. Rename it to TEMP.SIM and then load it with SE TEMP.
