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==Description==
[[Image:Rexxlogo.png|250px|right]]
Procedural scripting language that is included with every version of OS/2 2.0 and higher, every version of IBM DOS 5.0 and higher and most modern [[Amiga OS]] variants and clones.
'''REXX''' is an interpreted, procedural structured language that is included with every version of OS/2 EE 1.2 and later, IBM PC-DOS 7.0 and most AmigaOS variants and clones in addition to all current and recent IBM mainframe and minicomputer operating systems.


==A list of OS/2 implementations of REXX==
Although REXX is a generic programming language and can be (and has been) used to construct everything from simple utilities to large business applications, it is  primarily used as a scripting or macro language, and as such is unusually easy to learn.
* [[Classic REXX]]
* [[Object REXX]]
* [[Regina REXX]] - Open Source - Current


====Libraries and bindings====
==History==
The REXX language was created by [[Mike Cowlishaw]] in 1979 under VM/CMS. The second implementation (2.00) was used inside IBM in 1980. Language level 3.20 was included in [[VM/SP]] Release 3 which was released in 1983.


====Graphical front ends and REXX development systems====
Third party implementations started appearing in 1985.
* [[VX-REXX]]
====Editors with REXX support====
* [[Boxer]]
* [[FTE]]
* [[jEdit]] - Java editor


==A list of DOS implementations of REXX==
In 1987 REXX was chosen to be the [[Systems Application Architecture]] (SAA) procedural language.
* [[BREXX]] - Open Source - Current
 
* [[Classic REXX]] - Commercial - Comes with PC-DOS versions 5 and higher.
In 1989 the first version of IBM CMS REXX Compiler was released.
* [[Regina REXX]] - Open Source - Current
 
'''[[Object REXX]]''' is a different language that has been given object-oriented extensions modelled on those present in [[Smalltalk]]. While it is mostly compatible with Classic REXX there are some minor differences. It means that some REXX programs have to be modified to run correctly under Object REXX.
 
'''Amiga REXX''' is a clone of IBM's Classic REXX that has extensions to help its use as a mechanism for application to application and/or inter-application communication, [[Regina REXX]] supports those extensions.
 
==Implementations==
{|class="wikitable"
!rowspan=2|Vendor||rowspan=2|Implementation||colspan=4|Operating environment||rowspan=2|Notes
|-
!OS/2||DOS||Win16||Win32
|-
|rowspan=3|IBM||[[Procedures Language 2/REXX]]||X|| || || ||(aka SAA REXX) shipped with OS/2
|-
|[[REXXPC88]]|| ||X|| || ||IBM internal (1987/88)
|-
|[[PC DOS REXX]]|| ||X|| || ||introduced with IBM [[PC DOS]] 7
|-
|Quercus||[[Personal REXX]]||X||X||X|| ||Commercial
|-
| ||[[Regina REXX]]||X||X|| || ||Compatible with Classic REXX - Open Source
|-
| ||[[BREXX]]|| ||X|| || ||Open Source
|-
| ||Compact Rexx (CRX)|| ||X|| || ||Open source
|-
|Kilowatt Software||Portable Rexx|| ||X|| || ||Commercial
|-
| ||WinREXX|| || ||X|| ||Commercial
|-
| ||WREXX|| || ||X|| ||Commercial
|}
 
===Text editor support===
*[[Boxer]] - Regina, IBM and BREXX support included by default
*[[FTE]] - support for syntax highlighting, code folding and syntax-aware autoindent.


==A list of REXX implementations that run under WinOS/2==
*
==A list of REXX implementations that run under Java==
* [[NetRexx]]
==A list of REXX implementations in JavaScript==
*
==Publications==
==Publications==
*  
For listings of REXX related books and general articles see the [[REXX Bibliography]].
* [http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/people/ian.collier/Docs/rexx_info/whole.html Ian Collier's REXX tutorial]
* [[Vladimír Zábrodský]]: ''[http://zabrodsky-rexx.byethost18.com/introrexx.html An Introduction To The REXX Programming Language]''
* [[Keith Watts]]: ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20181120094832/http://www.kilowattsoftware.com/tutorial/rexx/ The Classic REXX tutorial]'' - Teaches the language to "Language Level 4.00 (TRL-2)", that is roughly the same as the SAA REXX shipped with OS/2
* [http://www.kyla.co.uk/other/rexx1.htm REXX: THE LANGUAGE] - Introduction and tutorial by James Barry of Kyla Computing.
* Matt Slocum: [http://www.sloky.net/programming/Rexx.rtf Rexx Programming Guide] - Nov 2005
 
==Links==
* [http://www.rexxla.org The Rexx Language Association]
* [https://erroneousbee.github.io/Computers/RexxStyleGuide.html Style Guide for Rexx]
* [http://www.rexx.org Mark Hessling's Home Page] - Lots of Rexx and Regina information and files from the gent behind [[Regina REXX]], including a Rexx manual
* [http://www.spgmbh.de/tipstricks_en.htm Tips & Tricks, Samples] - Material collected by a mainframe REXX programmer and some of it does not apply to OS/2 REXX.
* [http://cosmosgrammaticus.blogspot.co.uk/ Cosmos Grammaticus] - REXX related blog
 
* USENET: [news:comp.lang.rexx comp.lang.REXX]
* [http://www.rexxla.org/forum.html REXX LA forum] - The official [[REXX Language Association]] forum


====Local articles====
;Standards
* [[Roger Orr]]: [[OS/2 Procedures Language - REXX]] - Introductory material
* [http://www.rexxla.org/rexxlang/standards/j18pub.pdf ANSI standard for Rexx (X3.274)], published in 1996.
* [[Dave Briccetti]]: [[Sending Mail with REXX]]
* [https://archive.org/details/ProgrammingLanguageExtendedRexx Extended REXX proposal] (Nov 1998)
=====Code snippets=====
* [[Stupid OS/2 Tricks/REXX Commands]]
====Tutorials and other learning material====
*


==Standards==
;Source code snippets, archives and collections
*
Small programs or routines that you can integrate into your own programs or study to learn from, but are not delivered in library form.
==REXX history==
* [http://zabrodsky-rexx.byethost18.com/aat/ Album of Algorithms and Techniques for Standard Rexx]  - [[Vladimír Zábrodský]]'s collection of REXX code, mostly small snippets.
*
* [http://mzelden.com/mvsutil.html Mark's MVS Utilities] - While mostly XEDIT and MVS related, there are a few worthwhile REXX programs in there as well.
* [http://pleac.sourceforge.net/pleac_rexx/index.html PLEAC-REXX] - Collection of common REXX routines
* [http://www.robvanderwoude.com/rexxexamples.php REXX examples from Rob van der Woude's Scripting homepage]
* [http://www.rexswain.com/b2mmddyy.rex Rex Swain's B2MMDDYY.REX] - Convert Base format date to MM/DD/YYYY
* [http://www.wpachl.at/Rexx_Programs.html Walter Pachl's REXX code], contains many REXX snippets.


[[Category:Programming Languages]] [[Category:REXX]]
[[Category:Programming Languages]]

Latest revision as of 18:49, 2 April 2025

REXX is an interpreted, procedural structured language that is included with every version of OS/2 EE 1.2 and later, IBM PC-DOS 7.0 and most AmigaOS variants and clones in addition to all current and recent IBM mainframe and minicomputer operating systems.

Although REXX is a generic programming language and can be (and has been) used to construct everything from simple utilities to large business applications, it is primarily used as a scripting or macro language, and as such is unusually easy to learn.

History

The REXX language was created by Mike Cowlishaw in 1979 under VM/CMS. The second implementation (2.00) was used inside IBM in 1980. Language level 3.20 was included in VM/SP Release 3 which was released in 1983.

Third party implementations started appearing in 1985.

In 1987 REXX was chosen to be the Systems Application Architecture (SAA) procedural language.

In 1989 the first version of IBM CMS REXX Compiler was released.

Object REXX is a different language that has been given object-oriented extensions modelled on those present in Smalltalk. While it is mostly compatible with Classic REXX there are some minor differences. It means that some REXX programs have to be modified to run correctly under Object REXX.

Amiga REXX is a clone of IBM's Classic REXX that has extensions to help its use as a mechanism for application to application and/or inter-application communication, Regina REXX supports those extensions.

Implementations

Vendor Implementation Operating environment Notes
OS/2 DOS Win16 Win32
IBM Procedures Language 2/REXX X (aka SAA REXX) shipped with OS/2
REXXPC88 X IBM internal (1987/88)
PC DOS REXX X introduced with IBM PC DOS 7
Quercus Personal REXX X X X Commercial
Regina REXX X X Compatible with Classic REXX - Open Source
BREXX X Open Source
Compact Rexx (CRX) X Open source
Kilowatt Software Portable Rexx X Commercial
WinREXX X Commercial
WREXX X Commercial

Text editor support

  • Boxer - Regina, IBM and BREXX support included by default
  • FTE - support for syntax highlighting, code folding and syntax-aware autoindent.

Publications

For listings of REXX related books and general articles see the REXX Bibliography.

Links

Standards
Source code snippets, archives and collections

Small programs or routines that you can integrate into your own programs or study to learn from, but are not delivered in library form.

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