1. A functionally-layered programmable telecommunications switch having a host associated therewith said telecommunications switch comprising: controllable-switching means for dynamically connecting or disconnecting communication paths between various ones of a plurality of channels in response to messages generated by a telecommunications services application; one or more instantiations of a plurality of programmable protocol language (PPL) component state machines, each of which is associated with a PPL component of said telecommunications switch and each said instantiation represents one of a plurality of protocols configured to perform call processing functions with respect to said plurality of channels, wherein said plurality of PPL component state machines are functionally associated with the functional layers of the telecommunications switch including said PPL components; each of said plurality of PPL component state machines comprising (i) one or more libraries each containing one or more predetermined functions having associated therewith user-specified data, (ii) one or more predetermined logical states which may be user-definable, (iii) at least one predetermined event associated with each said one or more predetermined logical states each said at least one predetermined event uniquely identified relative to each of said plurality of PPI, component state machines, wherein upon an occurrence of one of said at least one predetermined event, a user-definable, predetermined primitive associated with the occurring event is invoked, said primitive comprising a predetermined series of one or more of said predetermined functions; and a programmable universal applications program interface (API) for transferring standardized user-programmable messages having a generic message format among said functional layers, and between said functional layers and said telecommunications services application, including a first message type having user-programmable functionality for transferring call control processing commands and data from said host to said functional layers of said telecommunications switch and a second message type having user-programmable functionality for transferring call control processing status and data from said functional layers of said telecommunications switch to said host.