▁launch ▁a ▁normal ▁function ▁from ▁the ▁Blo om berg ▁Terminal ' s ▁ 4 ▁S creens ▁into ▁launch pad ▁type ▁{ LL P < GO > } ▁from ▁the ▁target ▁screen ▁you ▁wish ▁to ▁turn ▁into ▁a ▁launch pad ▁item . ▁ ▁Application ▁programming ▁interface ▁ ▁The ▁Blo om berg ▁Open ▁API ▁( BL PA PI ) ▁application ▁programming ▁interface ▁( API ) ▁allows ▁third - party ▁applications , ▁such ▁as ▁Microsoft ▁Excel , ▁to ▁access ▁Blo om berg ▁data ▁via ▁the ▁Terminal ▁and ▁Blo om berg ' s ▁market ▁data ▁products . ▁A ▁user ▁might ▁wish ▁to ▁use ▁Blo om berg ▁data ▁from ▁the ▁Terminal ▁to ▁create ▁their ▁own ▁calculations ; ▁by ▁accessing ▁streaming , ▁historical , ▁and ▁reference ▁market ▁data ▁from ▁another ▁program , ▁they ▁can ▁build ▁these ▁formula e . ▁The ▁Blo om berg ▁Terminal ▁installation ▁ships ▁with ▁Excel ▁add - ins ▁which ▁facil itate ▁building ▁spread sheets ▁which ▁consume ▁market ▁data . ▁In ▁addition , ▁Blo om berg ▁offers ▁free ▁B L PA PI ▁SDK s ▁allowing ▁Blo om berg ▁subscri bers ▁to ▁build ▁their ▁own ▁software ▁which ▁access es ▁market ▁data ▁in ▁Wol fram ▁Language , ▁C , ▁C ++, ▁Java , ▁. NET , ▁Perl , ▁and ▁Python , ▁on ▁Windows , ▁Linux , ▁mac OS , ▁and ▁Sol aris . ▁ ▁Compet itors ▁▁ ▁The ▁largest ▁compet itor ▁to ▁the ▁Blo om berg ▁terminal ▁is ▁Thom son ▁Re ut ers ▁with ▁its ▁Re ut ers ▁ 3 0 0 0 ▁X tra ▁system , ▁which ▁was