Symbolic language (engineering)

In engineering, a symbolic language is a language that uses standard symbols, marks, and abbreviations to represent concepts such as entities, aspects, attributes, and relationships.^{[1][original research?]}

Engineering symbolic language may be used for the specification, design, implementation, management, operation, and execution of engineered systems.^{[2][original research?]}

Communication using precise, concise representations of concepts is critical in engineering.^[3] The Nuclear Principles in Engineering book begins with a quote on symbolic language from Erich Fromm and its power to express and depict associations.^[4][5] The engineering employs symbolic language in a way that is not purely text-based and not purely image-based to represent and communicate knowledge.^[6]

Examples in chemical engineering include the symbolic languages developed for process flow diagrams and for piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs).^[7]

In electrical engineering, examples include the symbolic languages developed for network diagrams used in computing.^[8][9]

Ladder logic was originally a written symbolic language for the design and construction of programmable logic control (PLC) operations in mechanical and control engineering.^[10]

See also

• Electronic symbol
• Engineering drawing
• Engineering drawing abbreviations and symbols
• List of symbols
• Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols
• Notation (general)
• Symbolic language (other)