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Optimisation Modelling with Excel and CMPL2

Authors:
Mike Steglich

Keywords: spreadsheet optimisation; algebraic modelling language; interactive decision-making process; optimisation

Abstract:
In companies and other organisations, spreadsheet programs are essential tools for preparing and supporting decisions, as they are easy to use and available in most workplaces. For complex problems, optimisation software is used. This offers a wide range of modelling capabilities but relies on external data, such as that maintained in spreadsheets. It therefore makes sense to combine spreadsheets and optimisation software. Add-ins in spreadsheet programs such as Excel solver are relatively widespread. They allow interactive work, although the method of modelling using cell ranges does not seem to be suitable for complex models. Another possibility is to use the spreadsheet interfaces of algebraic modelling languages, which are excellent for modelling complex problems. Unfortunately, as pure data interfaces, they do not allow interactive work. There are some approaches that combine modelling languages with Excel in the form of an Excel add-in, thus combining interactive work with the modelling possibilities of the modelling languages. Unfortunately, these solutions are only available for Windows and some of them seem to have been discontinued. The consideration of all the advantages and disadvantages of the available tools led to the motivation to create an easy-to-use interface between the open-source modelling language CMPL and Excel, which allows interactive work and is available for Windows and macOS. This paper describes this interface.

Pages: 24 to 30

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2021

Publication date: October 3, 2021

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4537

ISBN: 978-1-61208-898-3

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Dates: from October 3, 2021 to October 7, 2021