24. A system for generating a control program utilizing a computer system, the control program executable by a controller to control the operation of a one or more devices, the system comprising: receiving means for receiving one or more instructions of a source program in a high-level text-based language; conversion means, in communication with the receiving means, for converting at least one of the one or more instructions of the source program in the high-level text-based language into first corresponding instructions in a ladder-based language; a user-operated ladder-language editor, in communication with the conversion means, for editing the first corresponding instructions of the source program in the ladder-based language to form an edited source program; and a compiler which compiles the edited source program to form the control program.
26. The system of claim 24 wherein the computer system is operated by a user and wherein the conversion means includes: first signal receiving means for receiving a first signal generated by a user; and means, in communication with first signal receiving means, for converting the at least one of the one or more instructions of the source program in the high-level text-based language to the first corresponding instructions in the ladder-based language only if the first signal is received.