Book excerpt: This classic textbook by Eberhard Sturm is the only up-to-date PL/I book currently available in the English language which shows the range of the new PL/I on the computer platforms OS/2, Windows, AIX and z/OS – the basis being the new PL/I compiler from IBM. The language was extended by the package concept, abstract data types, attributes to communicate with C programs and more than a hundred BUILTIN functions. The book provides the basis for certification as an “IBM Certified PL/I Programmer/Developer”. Suitable for self-study, it introduces all areas of the language. It is a useful source of ideas and information for those programmers who already have a certain level of experience as well as those who only want to discover the variety of new language features.