The IEC 61131-3 standard defines five languages that you can use to program PLCs. Each language has its own interface and its own interactions in order to meet the requirements of the different applications that you will have to develop. To diversify the tools at our disposal, Siemens has created a language aimed at simplifying programs that include a lot of conditional interactions: The Cause and Effect Matrix (CEM).
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.solisplc.com/tutorials/siemens-plc-programming-an-introduction-to-the-cause-and-effect-matrix-language-in-tia-portal