Simula

Simula is a family of programming languages developed in the 1960s for discrete-event simulation. The most influential dialects were Simula I and Simula 67. The language was designed by Ole-Johan Dahl and Kristen Nygaard at the University of Oslo and the Norwegian Computing Center, with the aim of providing a tool for modelling real-world systems. Simula introduced ideas that would become central to object-oriented programming, while also providing simulation constructs and process-oriented facilities.

Core concepts include the idea of objects and classes, with support for encapsulation, inheritance, and dynamic binding. The class-based model offered a practical framework for organizing data and behavior into reusable abstractions. In addition, Simula provided constructs for describing discrete events, processes, and time, enabling the modelling and execution of complex systems such as manufacturing lines and communication networks.

Impact and legacy: Simula is widely regarded as the first practical object-oriented programming language and profoundly influenced the development of OO languages. Its concepts—classes, objects, inheritance, and dynamic binding—were later adopted by languages such as C++, Java, and C#. Although modern Simula usage is limited, the language's ideas continue to shape language design and modeling tools.

Today, Simula remains primarily of historical and educational interest, studied to understand the origins of object-oriented programming and early simulation languages.