PDL /P-D-L/, /pid'l/, /p*d'l/ or /puhd'l/ 1. n. `Program Design Language'

PDL /P-D-L/, /pid'l/, /p*d'l/ or /puhd'l/


1. n. `Program Design Language'. Any of a large class of formal
and profoundly useless pseudo-languages in which management
forces one to design programs. Too often, management expects PDL
descriptions to be maintained in parallel with the code, imposing
massive overhead to little or no benefit. See also flowchart.
2. v. To design using a program design language. "I've been
pdling so long my eyes won't focus beyond 2 feet." 3. n. `Page
Description Language'. Refers to any language which is used to
control a graphics device, usually a laserprinter. The most common
example is, of course, Adobe's PostScript language, but there
are many others, such as Xerox InterPress, etc.
4. In ITS days, the preferred MITism for stack. See
overflow pdl. 5. Dave Lebling, one of the co-authors of
Zork; (his network address on the ITS machines was at one
time pdl@dms).