I recently stumbled upon a programming language referred to as "B BPL" while browsing the genealogical tree of programming languages on Wikipedia Commons. It's positioned between B and C languages, but I can't find any concrete information about it. I've come across the Brady Printer Language, but that doesn't seem to be the one. Does anyone know what "B BPL" is referring to or if it might just be a mistake on the chart?
4 Answers
It might be an error in the chart you're looking at. For example, while BCPL evolved from CPL, the diagram implies that ALGOL skipped all of that when it actually influenced B. Ken Thompson himself noted that B includes some ALGOL syntax. Plus, the chart claims CPL was based on APL, which came out after CPL. It's definitely not accurately representing the programming language relationships.
If B and C were both developed by the same creators, "B BPL" might be an unlaunched extension or revision from them. However, it could also just be an error made by the person who created the chart. Definitely sounds fishy to me!
There's not much information on "B BPL" other than a couple of mentions. I found a paper from 1982 in the Computer Journal that might touch on it, but it's not easily accessible. You could also search for articles related to it from South Africa, particularly ones discussing design principles.
I've used a language called BPCL, which is akin to B and a precursor to C, but I'm not familiar with B BPL at all. It might be a lesser-known or outdated reference.
You're right, that chart seems flawed in a lot of areas. It doesn't even mention programming languages like COBOL 77 or various BASIC versions that were huge back in the day.