VX-REXX

Watcom VX-REXX
Advert from 1994

VX-REXX is a highly-extensible REXX GUI development system for OS/2, it contains a core engine written in a low level language but everything else is actually written in VX-REXX itself and you can extend the system simply by writing SOM objects for it, although a more conventional C SDK was also released for it later in the form of the VX-REXX Object Development Kit. It was delivered in two versions, a standard version and a "Client/server" version that had built in support for SQL databases and support for writing front ends for other back end computer software.

VX-REXX was originally developed by Watcom which was acquired by Powersoft in 1994, and Powersoft merged with Sybase in 1995 who discontinued the product in 1998. And Sybase itself was later bought by SAP. Despite its discontinuation the system remains one of the most popular if not the the most popular development product in day to day use for OS/2 and eComStation systems.

VX-REXX libraries and extensions

• VX-REXX Extras Library
• VX-REXX Object Development Kit

VX-REXX code

• VX-REXX Code snippets

Versions

• 06/1993: VX-REXX 1.0
• 09/1993: VX-REXX 1.01 - latest patch level 1.01c (1993-12-03)
• 1994: VX-REXX 2.0 - latest patch level 2.0c (1994-11-11)
• 1995: VX-REXX 2.1
• Last known version for OS/2-eCS: 2.1d (1995-09-19)

Downloads

• Demo Version 2.1
• Patches to 2.1d

Known issues

See: Bastian Märkisch: Inofficial VX-REXX buglist

Links

• VX-REXX Tips & Tricks - From the Esstu Pack by Chris Angelico, same site also has a few programs written in VX-REXX including source.
• Dev - REXX - VxREXX - OS/2 Site collection of resources about VX-REXX
• List of Netlabs projects written in VX-REXX
• OS/2 Museum VX-REXX 1.00

Licence and availability

Discontinued commercial software, the company announced in April 1996 that it would no longer develop the package as the developer resources were being moved to Optima++ and 1998-03-01 withdrew the VX-REXX package from sale altogether. When the Watcom C/C++ was being open sourced into the OpenWatcom there was interest in open sourcing VX-REXX as well, however for cost reasons this proved impossible and the project was discontinued.

Publications

• VX-REXX Programmers Guide
• WATCOM VX-REXX for OS/2 Programmer's Guide and Reference
• Ronny Richardson: Writing Vx-Rexx Programs - 1994 - Mcgraw-Hill - Paperback, 336 pages + CD-ROM - ISBN 0079119115 - ISBN 978-0079119117 - Out of Print

Local articles

• Visual REXX Faceoff by Gordon Zeglinski
  • Visual REXX Faceoff - Part 1 Watcom's VX-REXX (June 1994)
  • Visual REXX Faceoff - Part 2 Hockware's VisPro REXX/Bronze 2.0 (July 1994)
  • Visual REXX Faceoff - Part 3 Hockware's VisPro REXX/Gold 2.03 (October 1994)
• Derek Clarkson: Watcom's VX-REXX version 2.1 Review
• Brian Vink: Creating Multithreaded Applications with WATCOM VX-REXX
• Enhancing VX-REXX with macros

Articles, papers and presentations

• Gabrielle Gagnon: Visual REXX tools - A comparison review for VX-REXX, GpfREXX and VisPro/REXX - PC Magazine, Jul 1996
• A review of VX-REXX 2.0 - InfoWorld 1994
• A review of VX-REXX 1.01 by PC Magazine Feb 1994
• Nicholas Peterley: VX_REXX adds client/server support: Visual enviroment is now easier to use with the second part here - InfoWorld 1994-08-08
• Eric Giguère: REXX and the OS/2 Workplace Shell
• Eric Giguère: Watcom VX REXX for OS/2 - Published as part of Proceeding of The REXX Symposium for Developer and Users May 18-20, 1993, page 34

Authors and publisher

• Eric Giguère
• Watcom