Of course, you could write the code to parse and execute Paul's proposed command language.
Or you could install Bitlash and have the same commands already available, and readable by humans:
print d12
a5=156
print a3
Then, when you add your ping sensor, you can add a little C code to the project to extend the language by adding the new function "ping", so you can say:
print ping()
Which is more important for your project, I wonder: the protocol, or working code?
Cheers all,
-br