Programming Language for Business: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox programming language

'''PL/B''' (Programming Language for Business) is a business-oriented [[programming language]] originally called '''DATABUS''' and designed by [[Datapoint]] in the early 1970s as an alternative to [[COBOL]] because its 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.

| name = Programming Language for Business

| logo =

| paradigm = [[Procedural programming|Procedural]], [[imperative programming|imperative]]

| year = 1972

| designers =

| developers =

| latest release version =

| latest release date =

| typing = [[strong typing|Strong]],<ref name="infopro">{{cite web | url=http://www.sysmaker.com/infopro/plb.htm | title=Programming Language for Business | publisher=sysmaker.com | accessdate=10 June 2016}}</ref> [[static typing|static]]

| implementations = DB/C DX, DATABUS, and PL/B

| dialects =

| influenced_by = [[COBOL]]

| influenced =

| file_ext = <code>.rl</code>, <code>.ps</code>, <code>.cb</code>, <code>.pls</code>, <code>.pgm</code>

<!--| wikibooks = Programming Language for Business --><!-- No page in wikibooks as of 2023-0802 -->

}}

'''PL/B''' (Programming Language for Business)''' or '''PL/B''' is a business-oriented [[programming language]] originally called '''DATABUS''' and designed by [[Datapoint]] in the1972<ref earlyname="sysmaker">{{cite 1970sweb | url=http://www.sysmaker.com/infopro/x3j15/ | title=J15 - Programming Language PL/B | publisher=sysmaker.com | accessdate=10 June 2016}}</ref> as an alternative to [[COBOL]] because itsDatapoint's [[8-bit computerscomputer]]s 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.

A version of DATABUS became an [[ANSI]] standard, and the name PL/B was adopted when Datapoint refused to release its [[trademark]] on the DATABUS name.

A version of DATABUS became an [[American National Standards Institute|ANSI]] standard, and the name PL/B came about when Datapoint chose not to release its [[trademark]] on the DATABUS name.<ref name="dbc">{{cite web | url=https://www.dbcsoftware.com/dbcov.html | title=DB/C DX, DATABUS, and PL/B Overview | publisher=DBC Software | accessdate=10 June 2016}}</ref><ref name="mmc">{{cite web | url=http://www.mmcctech.com/pl-b/plb-0100.htm | title=ANSI Standard PL/B | publisher=mmcctech.com | accessdate=10 June 2016}}</ref>

==External links==

*[http://www.sysmaker.com/infopro/x3j15 ANSI PL/B Standards Committee]

*[http://www.sunbelt-plb.com/show.php?Page=aboutplb.shtml An implementation of PL/B] by [[Sunbelt Computer Systems]]

*[http://plb.brainbuild.com/]plb.brainbuild.com, a resource portal for PL/B programmers

== Functionality ==

[[Category:Programming languages]]

Much like [[Java (programming language)|Java]] and [[Microsoft .NET|.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 [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] [[operating system]]s.<ref name="sunbelt">{{cite web | url=http://www.sunbelt-plb.com/show.php?Page=aboutplb.shtml | title=About PL/B | publisher=Sunbelt Computer Systems, Inc. | accessdate=10 June 2016}}</ref> PL/B (Databus) is actively used all over the world, and has several forums on the Internet dedicated to supporting software developers.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

PL/B has a database capability built-in with ISAM and Associative Hashed Indexes,<ref name="sunbelt" /> as well as functionality for working with [[ODBC]], [[SQL]], [[Oracle Database|Oracle]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=SQL Instructions |url=https://sunbelt-plb.com/help/htm/plb/sql_overview.htm |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=sunbelt-plb.com}}</ref> sequential, random access, [[XML]] and [[JSON]] files.<ref>{{Cite web |title=XDATA |url=https://sunbelt-plb.com/help/htm/plb/xdata.htm |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=sunbelt-plb.com}}</ref>

PL/B also has the ability to access external routines through [[Component Object Model|COM objects]], [[Dynamic-link library|DLLs]] and [[Microsoft .NET|.NET]] assemblies. Full access to the [[Microsoft .NET|.NET]] framework is built into many versions.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

Several implementations of the language are capable of running as an Application Server like [[Citrix]], and connecting to remote databases through a data manager.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

== 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 ==

{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==

{{Portal|Computer programming}}

* [http://www.sunbelt-plb.com/show.php?Page=aboutplb.shtml AnSunbelt implementation of PL/B] by [[Sunbelt Computer Systems]]

* [http://www.sysmaker.com/infopro/x3j15 ANSI PL/B Standards Committee]

* [http://www.mmcctech.com/pl-b/plb-0010.htm MMCC PL/B programming notebook]

* [http://www.dbcsoftware.com/dbcov.html DB/C DX, DATABUS, and PL/B Overview]

* [http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/datapoint/software/50004_databusSimpUG_Feb76.pdf Databus Simplified User Guide]

{{Major programming languages}}

{{ISO standards}}

[[Category:Procedural programming languages]]

[[Category:Cross-platform software]]

[[Category:Programming languages created in 1972]]

[[Category:Structured programming languages]]