The dusty SF history of distant galaxies and modelling tools

I review recent advances in the determination of the cosmic history of star formation, and its relevance in our understanding of the formation of structures. I emphasize the importance of dust reprocessing in the high--z universe, as demonstrated in particular by IR and sub-mm data. This demand a panchromatic approach to observations and suitable modelling tools. I summarize the basic requirements for these models and to what extent they are satisfied by models published so far.