Programming Language for Business

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Programming Language for Business
Paradigm Procedural, imperative
First appeared1972
Typing discipline Strong, [1] static
Filename extensions .rl, .ps, .cb, .pls, .pgm
Major implementations
DB/C DX, DATABUS, and PL/B
Influenced by
COBOL

Programming Language for Business or PL/B is a business-oriented programming language originally called DATABUS and designed by Datapoint in 1972 [2] as an alternative to COBOL because Datapoint's 8-bit computers could not fit COBOL into their limited memory, and because COBOL did not at the time have facilities to deal with Datapoint's built-in keyboard and screen.

Contents

A version of DATABUS became an ANSI standard, and the name PL/B came about when Datapoint chose not to release its trademark on the DATABUS name. [3] [4]

Functionality

Much like Java and .NET, PL/B programs are compiled into an intermediate byte-code, which is then interpreted by a runtime library. Because of this, many PL/B programs can run on DOS, Unix, Linux, and Windows operating systems. [5] PL/B (Databus) is actively used all over the world, and has several forums on the Internet dedicated to supporting software developers.[ citation needed ]

PL/B has a database capability built-in with ISAM and Associative Hashed Indexes [5] , as well as functionality for working with ODBC, SQL, Oracle, [6] sequential, random access, XML and JSON files. [7]

PL/B also has the ability to access external routines through COM objects, DLLs and .NET assemblies. Full access to the .NET framework is built into many versions.[ citation needed ]

Several implementations of the language are capable of running as an Application Server like Citrix, and connecting to remote databases through a data manager.[ citation needed ]

Source code example

        IF (DF_EDIT[ITEM] = "PHYS")            STATESAVE MYSTATE            IF (C_F07B != 2)               DISPLAY   *SETSWALL 1:1:1:80:                         *BGCOLOR=2,*COLOR=15:                         *P49:1," 7-Find "            ELSE               DISPLAY   *SETSWALL 1:1:1:80:                         *BGCOLOR=7,*COLOR=0:                         *P49:1," 7-Find "            ENDIF            STATEREST MYSTATE            TRAP      GET_PRO NORESET IF F7         ENDIF         IF (SHOW_FILTER AND THIS_FILTER AND C_CUSTNO <> "MAG")            LOADMOD   "filter"            PACK      PASS_ID WITH "QED     ",QED_ID1,BLANKS            MOVE      " FILTER DISPLAY (F6)        " TO PASS_DESC            SET C_BIGFLT            CALL      RUN_FILT USING PASS_ID,PASS_DESC,"432"            UNLOAD    "filter"            CLEAR     THIS_FILTER         ENDIF

References

  1. ↑ "Programming Language for Business". sysmaker.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "J15 - Programming Language PL/B". sysmaker.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  3. ↑ "DB/C DX, DATABUS, and PL/B Overview". DBC Software. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "ANSI Standard PL/B". mmcctech.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  5. 1 2 "About PL/B". Sunbelt Computer Systems, Inc. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "SQL Instructions". sunbelt-plb.com. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  7. ↑ "XDATA". sunbelt-plb.com. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
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