Technical data

Creating Blocks and Libraries
9.2 Selecting the Programming Language
Programming with STEP 7
216 Manual, 05/2010, A5E02789666-01
9.2 Selecting the Programming Language
Setting the Programming Language for the Editor
Before you you generate a particular block or a source file, select the programming language and
editor via the object properties. This selection determines which editor is started when the block or
source file is opened.
Starting the Editor
Start the appropriate language editor either in SIMATIC Manager with a double-click on the
corresponding object (block, source file, etc.), by selecting the menu command Edit > Open
Object or click on the corresponding toolbar button.
To create an S7 program, the programming languages listed in the table are available to you. The
STEP 7 programming languages LAD, FBD, and STL are supplied with the standard STEP 7
software package. You can purchase other programming languages as optional software
packages.
You then have the choice of a number of different programming philosophies (Ladder Logic,
Function Block Diagram, Statement List, standard language, sequential control, or status graph)
and whether to use a text-based or a graphic programming language.
Select a programming language to determine the input mode (X).
Programming
Language
User Group Application Incremental
Input
Free-Ed
it Mode
Block can be
Documented
Back from the
CPU
Statement List STL Users who prefer
programming in a
language similar to
machine code
Programs
optimized in
terms of run time
and memory
requirements
X X X
Ladder Logic LAD Users who are
accustomed to working
with circuit diagrams
Programming of
logic controls
X − X
Function Block
Diagram FBD
Users who are familiar
with the logic boxes of
Boolean algebra
Programming of
logic controls
X − X
F-LAD, F-FBD
Optional package
Users who are familiar
with the programming
languages LAD and
FDB.
Programming of
safety programs
for F-systems
X − X
SCL (Structured
Control Language)
Optional package
Users who have
programmed in
high-level languages
such as PASCAL or C
Programming
data processing
tasks
− X −