What is CAPL?
CAPL (Communication Access Programming Language) is a C-like language embedded in Vector CANoe and CANalyser. It runs in an event-driven execution environment tied to the CAN/Ethernet bus: CAPL handlers fire when specific messages arrive, signals change, or timers expire. CAPL is the standard language for professional automotive CAN test automation at OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
Key differences from C: no pointers, no memory management, no standard library -- only CAN-specific functions. Execution is event-driven: code runs in response to bus events, not in a main loop.