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.

History

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 popular in day to day use.

Versions

Product diskette

• 06/1993: VX-REXX 1.0
• 09/1993: VX-REXX 1.01
  • Patch level 1.01c (1993-12-03)
• 1994: VX-REXX 2.0
  • Patch level 2.0a (1994-05)
  • Patch level 2.0b (1994-06)
  • Patch level 2.0c (1994-11-11)
• 1995: VX-REXX 2.1
  • Patch level 2.1a (1994-11-09)
  • Patch level 2.1b (1995-01-11)
  • Patch level 2.1c (1995-06-20)
  • Patch level 2.1d (1995-09-19)

Product Documentation

• WATCOM VX-REXX Programmers Guide
• WATCOM VX-REXX for OS/2 Programmer's Guide and Reference

Libraries and extensions

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

• VX-REXX Code snippets

For known issues see: Inofficial VX-REXX buglist from Bastian Märkisch

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.

Local articles

• Gordon Zeglinski: Visual REXX Faceoff - Part 1 Watcom's VX-REXX (Jun 1994)
• Derek Clarkson: Watcom's VX-REXX version 2.1 Review
• Brian Vink: Creating Multithreaded Applications with WATCOM VX-REXX
• Chris Angelico: Enhancing VX-REXX with macros

Publications

• Ronny Richardson: Writing VX-REXX Programs - McGraw-Hill 1994, ISBN 0-07-911911-5

Articles

• Eric Giguère: REXX and the OS/2 Workplace Shell - Dr Dobb's Journal, Dec 1993
• Gabrielle Gagnon: Watcom VX-REXX, Version 1.01 - PC Magazine (Feb 1994) PA228
• Robert A. DelRossi: RAD II: VX-REXX Version 2.0 - InfoWorld (Apr 1994) PA82
• Nicholas Peterley: VX-REXX adds client/server support: Visual environment is now easier to use - InfoWorld 1994-08-08 PA1
• Gabrielle Gagnon: Visual REXX tools - A comparison review for VX-REXX, GpfREXX and VisPro/REXX - PC Magazine, Jul 1996 PA263

Presentation

• 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

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.
• List of Netlabs projects written in VX-REXX
• OS/2 Museum VX-REXX 1.00