ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Petri Net Markup Language

Okay, kiddo, so let's try to explain what a Petri Net Markup Language is.

Do you know what a Petri net is? No? Okay, let's start there.

A Petri net is a type of model that shows how things relate to each other. For example, imagine you have a bunch of Legos, and you want to build a tower. A Petri net would show you how many Legos you need for the base, how many for the next layer, and so on.

Now, a Petri Net Markup Language, or PNML for short, is a way to write down those models in a computer-readable way. It's like writing a recipe for building a Lego tower, but instead of using words or pictures, you use a special computer code that a computer can understand.

Why would you want to use a PNML? Well, imagine you have a really complicated process you want to model. Maybe you're trying to figure out how a traffic intersection works, or how a factory assembly line should be set up. Writing it down in words or drawing it on paper can be really confusing because there are so many different parts moving at once. PNML makes it much easier to keep track of everything because you can see it all in one place, and the computer can do calculations for you.

So, in summary, Petri Net Markup Language is a way to write down models of complicated processes in a way that is easy for computers to understand. It's like writing a recipe for Legos, but instead of using words or pictures, you use a special code that tells the computer what to do. Pretty neat, huh?