Programming Language for Business (PL/B): A Historical Overview and Its Evolution
Introduction
The evolution of programming languages has been significantly influenced by the needs and technological limitations of the time. Among the many programming languages designed for business applications, one stands out as both an innovative solution and a reflection of its era: Programming Language for Business (PL/B). Developed in the early 1970s, PL/B emerged as an alternative to COBOL, a widely used business programming language, primarily due to the limitations imposed by the hardware of the time and the specific needs of Datapoint Corporation.
PL/B was not just a product of technological necessity, but also a response to business demands for more accessible programming languages that could run on compact and limited systems. While not as widely adopted or recognized as COBOL, PL/B left a mark on the history of programming languages, particularly in its design and utility in business computing.
The Origins of PL/B: The Birth of DATABUS
PL/B originated from the need to provide a business-oriented programming language for Datapoint Corporation’s range of 8-bit computers in 1972. Datapoint, a company specializing in minicomputers, faced a unique set of challenges when it came to integrating software with its hardware. One of the primary constraints was the limited memory capacity of their machines, which made running COBOL, the dominant language for business applications at the time, impractical.
COBOL, though powerful, had been developed for much larger systems and required considerable resources that Datapoint’s machines could not support. Additionally, COBOL lacked certain features that would enable it to seamlessly interface with Datapoint’s built-in keyboard and screen, further complicating its use. To address these limitations, Datapoint set out to create an alternative—a new language that could run efficiently on their hardware while still offering business-centric capabilities. The result was DATABUS, which would later be renamed PL/B.
The name “DATABUS” initially reflected the language’s core design focus on data handling and business applications. However, Datapoint opted not to release its trademark on the name, and the language was rebranded as PL/B. This rebranding marked a shift in the language’s identity, with a focus on business programming (hence the “B” in PL/B) and a wider range of applications than its predecessor.
Key Features and Design Philosophy of PL/B
PL/B was specifically crafted to address the requirements of business applications on Datapoint’s 8-bit computers, and its design choices reflected these constraints. Some of the primary features that characterized PL/B included:
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Business-Oriented Syntax: Much like COBOL, PL/B was designed with an emphasis on ease of use for business professionals. It featured a syntax that mirrored natural language constructs, making it accessible to non-technical users while still being powerful enough for programming complex business applications.
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Compact and Efficient: One of the most significant factors in the development of PL/B was the memory constraints of Datapoint’s computers. Unlike COBOL, which was often too large and resource-intensive for such systems, PL/B was engineered to be compact, allowing it to run on 8-bit machines with limited memory and processing power.
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Input/Output Handling: One of the unique challenges that PL/B addressed was the integration with Datapoint’s proprietary input and output devices. Datapoint’s systems featured custom-built keyboards and screens, and COBOL’s limitations in handling such specialized hardware necessitated the development of a more flexible language. PL/B allowed for easy integration with these devices, providing a more seamless user experience.
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Data Handling and Business Logic: As its name suggests, PL/B was designed primarily for business data handling. It was adept at processing large amounts of transactional data and handling business logic, making it suitable for applications like payroll systems, inventory management, and financial tracking.
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Limited Scope for General-Purpose Programming: While PL/B was tailored for business applications, it did not have the breadth of use cases that would make it a general-purpose programming language like COBOL or Fortran. Its scope was intentionally limited to domains where Datapoint’s hardware could offer a competitive advantage.
The Evolution of PL/B: From DATABUS to ANSI Standard
Despite its specific focus, PL/B attracted enough attention within the business computing community to become an ANSI standard. The decision to standardize the language was not without controversy, as it was primarily used by Datapoint customers and was not as widely adopted as other business programming languages. However, its standardization marked a significant milestone in its evolution, providing a formal structure for its implementation and ensuring compatibility across different systems.
Over the years, PL/B’s relevance dwindled, primarily due to the rapid advancement of computer technology and the emergence of more powerful, general-purpose programming languages. However, it continued to serve a niche market, particularly within industries that relied on Datapoint’s hardware and those that required a programming language that could handle business applications with the constraints of early computer systems.
Comparison with COBOL and Other Business Languages
PL/B was often compared to COBOL, the dominant business language of the time. COBOL had been designed in the late 1950s and was widely adopted for business data processing. However, as previously mentioned, COBOL’s resource demands made it ill-suited for Datapoint’s 8-bit systems. In contrast, PL/B was tailored to fit these systems, offering a lightweight alternative that was still powerful enough to support business applications.
Unlike COBOL, which was developed with a strong emphasis on data formatting and processing in large systems, PL/B’s design philosophy was more focused on the practical integration of business logic with limited hardware resources. While both languages were highly readable and suited for business applications, PL/B’s focus on simplicity and compactness made it a good fit for the hardware of the time.
Another important comparison could be made with other early programming languages like BASIC or Fortran, both of which were not specifically tailored for business applications. BASIC, for instance, was designed to be a simple, general-purpose language for teaching and learning. In contrast, PL/B was built from the ground up with business use cases in mind, which provided it with an edge in specific business contexts.
The Decline of PL/B and the Emergence of New Technologies
As the computing landscape rapidly evolved in the 1980s and 1990s, the limitations of 8-bit systems became apparent. The increasing availability of more powerful hardware, such as 16-bit and 32-bit computers, rendered many of the early programming languages, including PL/B, obsolete. The decline of proprietary systems like Datapoint’s hardware further reduced the language’s relevance.
Furthermore, the rise of modern, object-oriented programming languages like C++, Java, and later, web-based technologies, offered far more flexibility and scalability than PL/B could provide. As businesses increasingly adopted client-server architectures and the internet became central to computing, the need for a language specifically designed for 8-bit systems with business applications diminished.
Legacy of PL/B
Despite its relatively short-lived impact, PL/B holds an important place in the history of programming languages. It was a product of its time, reflecting the technological limitations and business demands of the early 1970s. PL/B’s legacy is perhaps best understood in the context of its contributions to the development of business-oriented programming languages and the way it shaped future efforts to make programming more accessible to non-technical users.
For example, PL/B’s focus on simplifying the programming process for business professionals paved the way for future languages that would combine ease of use with computational power. Today, many modern business programming environments, like those used in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, still carry forward some of the design principles that were first explored by PL/B.
Though no longer in widespread use, PL/B represents an important chapter in the history of business computing. It was a pioneer in adapting programming languages to the specific needs of business applications while working within the limitations of early computer systems. As such, it serves as a testament to the ingenuity and adaptability of early computer scientists and developers in their quest to make technology more accessible and useful to businesses.
Conclusion
PL/B was an important milestone in the development of business-oriented programming languages. Its creation by Datapoint in the 1970s was driven by the technological constraints of the time and the need for a language that could run on 8-bit computers while addressing the specific needs of business data processing. Though it never reached the widespread adoption of COBOL or other programming languages, PL/B was a critical step in the ongoing evolution of business computing. It demonstrated the ability to adapt programming languages to specific hardware and business needs, a principle that continues to shape software development today.
For those interested in the history of programming languages, PL/B remains a fascinating case study of how innovation and practical constraints often drive technological progress. Its story is a reminder of how even the most niche programming languages can have a lasting impact on the fields they serve, influencing future developments and helping to shape the technologies we use today.