Programmable Macro Language
Programmable Macro Language (PML) is a domain specific language developed by Aveva to enable customisation of their plant and marine design products. PML is a file-based interpreted language that enables an application developer to design Microsoft Windows form-based add-ins that can be included within an Aveva product such as Plant Design Management System (PDMS).
History
PML originated from the Computer-Aided Design Centre (or CADCentre) which was established in Cambridge UK in 1967 by the UK Ministry of Technology. CADCentre, which later become AVEVA, carried out a great deal of early pioneering CAD research. Early staff members went on to become prominent in the worldwide CAD community, such as brothers Dick and Martin Newell. CADCentre was arguably the most important single factor in the transformation of Cambridge into one of the world's high technology centers within a few years in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The PML language facilitates the customisation of the Plant Design Management System (PDMS) system so that it may be used in industries such as marine, offshore and onshore oil & gas, chemical & process plants, and mining.
There are currently three iterations of the PML language.[1]
- PML 1 - A basic macro/command language with Window Form capabilities.
- PML 2 - An advanced version of PML 1 to include object-oriented capability for forms and menus.
- PML.NET - An alternative PML mechanism to facilitate the use of Microsoft .NET controls into a PML environment.