Rexx Revisited

Back to the Future With Rexx

by Howard Fosdick

Feb, 4, 2005

Rexx is a scripting language that's been around the block. It's the predominant scripting language for mainframes and was bundled with the ill-fated OS/2 back in the 90's. The first personal computer with a multitasking operating system, the Amiga, relied on Rexx as its primary scripting language. Now the free software movement has breathed new life into this well-proven language. You have a choice of several free versions of Rexx for Windows and Linux PCs.

Rexx's distinguishing characteristic is that it combines ease of use with power. It's as easy to learn as Basic or PHP, but it has the power required to run mainframe data centers. It's good at text manipulation and is particularly well-suited for issuing operating system commands. It's an excellent alternative to the Windows shell language and makes a nice complement to difficult-to-master scripting languages like Perl and Linux's Bourne-Again shell . Its advantages over Microsoft technologies like Visual Basic and VBScript are that it is standardized, non-proprietary, and cross-platform. And it's free. Learn Rexx and you know a language that enables you to script any computer, from handhelds running Windows CE or Palm OS, to PCs and Mac's, right on up to servers and mainframes.

Two versions of Rexx have been specially packaged with Windows-oriented features: Reginald and r4. Both come with dozens of free add-on tools for developing GUIs, controlling your PC's speech and MIDI music interfaces, interfacing with databases, and the like. They also feature easy-to-read documentation that includes many scripting examples. Download Reginald from http://www.borg.com/~jglatt/rexx/rexxuser.htm and r4 from Kilowatt Software at http://www.kilowattsoftware.com/.

The BRexx interpreter not only runs under Windows, it also offers a set of extensions for Windows CE. You can program natively under Windows CE with BRexx and its extended CE functions. You can also run it within a DOS emulator on your handheld. This brings thousands of DOS programs to the handheld with a ready-made scripting language to tie them together. BRexx also runs under Linux, Unix, and the Mac OS. Download BRexx from http://bnv.home.cern.ch/bnv/.

You might also be interested in object-oriented Rexx. Object-oriented Rexx runs all standard Rexx programs while adding the complete gamut of object-oriented features including classes, methods, messages, multiple inheritance, and a huge class library. The Rexx Language Association offers Open Object Rexx for Windows and Linux at their web site, www.rexxla.org or www.oorexx.org. Or pick up an alternative object-oriented interpreter called roo! at http://www.kilowattsoftware.com/. roo! is from Kilowatt Software and uses all the same Windows tools as their r4 interpreter.

A language is only as good as its tools, and there are many dozens of free tools for Rexx. As well as those available from the web sites we've already listed, the Regina Rexx web site has links to a slew of professional-quality tools. Regina is the powerful Rexx interpreter that Microsoft bundled with its Windows Resource Kits for early versions of Windows - until Microsoft decided on a more proprietary direction for Windows scripting with VBScript. Regina's especially well known for its professional documentation and the fact that it runs on all major operating systems. Find Regina and tools at http://regina-rexx.sourceforge.net/.

Both Reginald and r4 come with free tutorials that help you learn Rexx. If you want to go further, pick up a copy of the Rexx: Programmer's Reference. Its 700 pages cover everything you'll want to know, from where to download free Rexx interpreters and tools, to how to use the language and its major interfaces. The book is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Rexx is a proven language that has a world-wide following and offers a lot to those programming their desktops, laptops, and handhelds. Take a quick look at any of the interpeters in this article and you'll probably find a place for it in your toolbox.

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	Back to the Future With Rexx by Howard Fosdick
	Feb, 4, 2005
	Rexx is a scripting language that's been around the block. It's the predominant scripting language for mainframes and was bundled with the ill-fated OS/2 back in the 90's. The first personal computer with a multitasking operating system, the Amiga, relied on Rexx as its primary scripting language. Now the free software movement has breathed new life into this well-proven language. You have a choice of several free versions of Rexx for Windows and Linux PCs. Rexx's distinguishing characteristic is that it combines ease of use with power. It's as easy to learn as Basic or PHP, but it has the power required to run mainframe data centers. It's good at text manipulation and is particularly well-suited for issuing operating system commands. It's an excellent alternative to the Windows shell language and makes a nice complement to difficult-to-master scripting languages like Perl and Linux's Bourne-Again shell . Its advantages over Microsoft technologies like Visual Basic and VBScript are that it is standardized, non-proprietary, and cross-platform. And it's free. Learn Rexx and you know a language that enables you to script any computer, from handhelds running Windows CE or Palm OS, to PCs and Mac's, right on up to servers and mainframes. Two versions of Rexx have been specially packaged with Windows-oriented features: Reginald and r4. Both come with dozens of free add-on tools for developing GUIs, controlling your PC's speech and MIDI music interfaces, interfacing with databases, and the like. They also feature easy-to-read documentation that includes many scripting examples. Download Reginald from http://www.borg.com/~jglatt/rexx/rexxuser.htm and r4 from Kilowatt Software at http://www.kilowattsoftware.com/. The BRexx interpreter not only runs under Windows, it also offers a set of extensions for Windows CE. You can program natively under Windows CE with BRexx and its extended CE functions. You can also run it within a DOS emulator on your handheld. This brings thousands of DOS programs to the handheld with a ready-made scripting language to tie them together. BRexx also runs under Linux, Unix, and the Mac OS. Download BRexx from http://bnv.home.cern.ch/bnv/. You might also be interested in object-oriented Rexx. Object-oriented Rexx runs all standard Rexx programs while adding the complete gamut of object-oriented features including classes, methods, messages, multiple inheritance, and a huge class library. The Rexx Language Association offers Open Object Rexx for Windows and Linux at their web site, www.rexxla.org or www.oorexx.org. Or pick up an alternative object-oriented interpreter called roo! at http://www.kilowattsoftware.com/. roo! is from Kilowatt Software and uses all the same Windows tools as their r4 interpreter. A language is only as good as its tools, and there are many dozens of free tools for Rexx. As well as those available from the web sites we've already listed, the Regina Rexx web site has links to a slew of professional-quality tools. Regina is the powerful Rexx interpreter that Microsoft bundled with its Windows Resource Kits for early versions of Windows - until Microsoft decided on a more proprietary direction for Windows scripting with VBScript. Regina's especially well known for its professional documentation and the fact that it runs on all major operating systems. Find Regina and tools at http://regina-rexx.sourceforge.net/. Both Reginald and r4 come with free tutorials that help you learn Rexx. If you want to go further, pick up a copy of the Rexx: Programmer's Reference. Its 700 pages cover everything you'll want to know, from where to download free Rexx interpreters and tools, to how to use the language and its major interfaces. The book is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Rexx is a proven language that has a world-wide following and offers a lot to those programming their desktops, laptops, and handhelds. Take a quick look at any of the interpeters in this article and you'll probably find a place for it in your toolbox.
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