An In-Depth Overview of BDL: The Hewlett-Packard Developed Programming Language
BDL, short for Business Data Language, is a programming language that was primarily developed by Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 1987. Although BDL did not achieve widespread popularity in the mainstream software development community, it served a niche market, particularly in the field of business data processing and financial applications.
In this article, we will delve into the origins, features, capabilities, and impact of BDL. We will also explore how it functioned as a part of HP’s broader efforts to dominate the business computing landscape and the role it played in shaping business applications during its time.
Origins of BDL
The development of BDL traces back to Hewlett-Packard’s desire to create a more efficient, high-performance language for business and financial applications. During the mid-1980s, HP was well-established as a major player in the computing industry, with a focus on hardware and software solutions for various business sectors. As the corporate world began to demand more robust data processing capabilities, HP sought to develop a language that would cater specifically to the needs of business data processing, something that could work seamlessly with HP’s range of business machines and workstations.
This need for a specialized programming language led to the creation of Business Data Language (BDL). The language was designed to facilitate rapid development of applications that could handle large-scale business data processing, including databases, spreadsheets, and financial models. By aligning the development of the language with the specific requirements of business applications, BDL aimed to streamline the workflow of business professionals and make it easier for companies to manage their financial operations.
The language was introduced in 1987, marking its debut as a tool that could support business-critical systems in an era that was heavily influenced by the rise of personal computers and new business software tools.
Purpose and Features of BDL
BDL was designed as a high-level programming language, focused specifically on simplifying the development of business-oriented software. The language’s main objective was to enhance the processing and handling of business data and to allow professionals to create complex financial systems without needing deep technical programming knowledge. Below are some of the core features that defined BDL:
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Business-Centric Functionality:
BDL was built around the core needs of business users. Its syntax and structures were tailored for easy integration with business data sources like financial databases, spreadsheets, and legacy systems. This made it particularly suited for accounting, budgeting, and financial forecasting tasks. -
Structured Data Processing:
One of the key selling points of BDL was its ability to efficiently process and manipulate large volumes of structured business data. The language offered native support for data types that were commonly used in business applications, such as currency, dates, and percentages. -
Ease of Use:
BDL was designed with the user in mind, meaning that it sought to offer as much abstraction as possible from the complex internals of business data processing. It was considered relatively easier to use compared to more general-purpose languages of the time. This made it an attractive option for non-programming professionals in the financial and business sectors. -
Business Application Libraries:
BDL came with built-in libraries and templates for common business applications, including payroll systems, inventory tracking, and financial reporting. This helped speed up the development of business software by offering pre-built solutions to everyday tasks. -
Modularity and Extensibility:
Although BDL was designed to be a specialized language for business data, it did not limit developers in terms of adding custom functionality. Through modular design, it was possible for users to extend the language’s capabilities, integrate with external systems, and build complex, tailor-made business applications.
HP’s Strategic Goals with BDL
BDL’s development can be viewed as part of Hewlett-Packard’s broader strategy to dominate the corporate and business computing market. In the 1980s, HP was focusing heavily on enterprise-level solutions that bridged the gap between business users and the growing field of computing technology. This era witnessed the rise of various business software applications, and HP wanted to position itself as a leader in this space by offering a complete package that integrated hardware, software, and application development tools.
The primary objective of BDL was to create a language that could serve as a bridge between technical and business users. While traditional programming languages like COBOL and FORTRAN were primarily aimed at developers with technical expertise, BDL was designed to make business data processing accessible to a broader range of professionals. The focus was on ease of use, fast adoption, and ensuring that even non-technical staff could develop robust business applications.
BDL’s Role in Business Software
At the time of its launch, BDL found its niche in the enterprise and corporate sector, especially in industries where managing large sets of business data was essential. Key sectors such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail could leverage BDL to build applications tailored to their specific needs. The language’s straightforward approach allowed businesses to automate data management tasks like invoicing, accounting, and inventory control.
For many organizations, BDL played an important role in supporting legacy systems—those older computer systems that had been in use for many years but still handled critical business operations. In many cases, BDL was used to upgrade and extend these systems, adding new functionalities without the need for a complete overhaul.
In addition to this, BDL was frequently used in conjunction with other HP products such as HP 3000 Series minicomputers and HP workstations, which were popular during the late 1980s. These systems were designed to handle large-scale business tasks, and BDL allowed for the efficient development of applications that could run on HP’s hardware.
Legacy and Decline of BDL
While BDL had a niche following within certain industries, it was ultimately overshadowed by the rise of other more general-purpose programming languages and database management systems in the 1990s. As businesses began to adopt more modern technologies, the need for specialized languages like BDL began to decrease.
Several factors contributed to BDL’s decline:
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Rise of More Popular Languages: In the 1990s, languages such as Java, C++, and SQL began to dominate the landscape, offering more flexibility and power for a wider range of applications. Business users were also increasingly using off-the-shelf software packages (e.g., SAP and Oracle) to handle their enterprise needs.
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Technological Advancements: Advances in database management systems and data analytics tools provided businesses with more sophisticated ways to handle and analyze their data. BDL’s specialized focus on business data processing could not compete with the more flexible and powerful tools that emerged during this period.
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Decline of HP’s Proprietary Ecosystem: HP’s early efforts to build proprietary systems and software, such as BDL, were eventually replaced by more open and standardized technologies. The broader shift towards open-source software and cross-platform compatibility led to the decline of HP’s specialized business software offerings.
Despite this, BDL’s legacy lives on in the form of the lessons it taught about the importance of business-specific languages and tools. It also helped to catalyze the development of programming languages and tools designed with ease of use and business data processing in mind.
Conclusion
Although BDL never achieved the widespread adoption of some of its contemporaries, its role in shaping the development of business-specific programming languages cannot be understated. By focusing on the needs of business professionals, Hewlett-Packard introduced a language that made it easier for non-technical users to handle complex business data. The legacy of BDL lies in its contribution to the evolution of business data processing technologies, offering valuable insights into how specialized programming tools can optimize workflows and support critical business operations.
The decline of BDL was inevitable as the market evolved, but it remains a part of the history of business computing. HP’s role in the development of such tools, and the attempt to tailor a programming language to specific business needs, paved the way for modern enterprise software solutions that continue to shape how businesses operate today.