BICMDL

BICMDL (Binary Interoperable Command and Data Language) is a domain-specific language designed for describing, validating, and executing decision-making logic in distributed digital systems. It combines declarative rule definitions with imperative control flow to support automated decision making across networks of devices and services. The language emphasizes portability, interoperability, and verifiability of rules across heterogeneous platforms.

Origins and development: BICMDL emerged from a community-driven effort in academia and industry to bridge rule-based reasoning with real-time control. The first public drafts appeared in the mid-2010s, with multiple independent implementations and reference runtimes that emphasize safety, determinism, and modular composition. No single vendor owns the language; governance remains collaborative.

Design and features: The language is organized into modules that group data types, rules, and procedures. Rules use when-then style and can trigger in response to events or data changes. It supports state machines, asynchronous task execution, and data serialization to JSON, YAML, or compact binary formats. BICMDL includes a formal evaluation semantics and optional verification hooks.

Implementation and usage: Reference runtimes exist in Rust, Python, and C++, along with bindings for major robotics and automation platforms. BICMDL is used in automated decision-making for industrial automation, robotics coordination, smart buildings, and simulation environments, where predictable behavior and auditability are important.

Status and reception: As of now, BICMDL has no formal international standard. It remains a community-driven specification with evolving best practices. Proponents cite portability and safety benefits, while critics point to the learning curve and interoperability challenges with legacy control languages.

See also: Domain-specific language, Rule-based programming, Reactive programming, Industrial automation languages.