Personal REXX

About Personal REXX

Personal REXX is a complete implementation of the REXX language for the three major Intel-based desktop platforms: OS/2, Windows (any current version), and DOS. Each of these is a separate implementation, though they have most of the REXX language processor code in common. On each platform, we have added a number of utilities and extensions that make many of the facilities of the platform available to REXX users.

In addition, there is a programming interface that allows the use of REXX as general-purpose embeddable macro language that enables any application which supports this interface to utilize REXX as its native scripting language. In OS/2 and Windows, this programming interface is the same as used by IBM's OS/2 REXX.

Why Quercus Systems' Personal REXX?

Quercus Systems has been in the business of providing the best possible REXX environment on personal computers since 1985.

Personal REXX includes much more than just an implementation of the language. It comes with a full suite of additional tools and library functions to fully exploit an already excellent personal programming language.

Personal REXX is a fully mature product, evolving over the years to have performance, capacity, reliability, and functionality which equals or exceeds what is available in any other implementation of REXX.

Personal REXX is now available in versions for all of the major Intel-based computer operating systems - OS/2, Windows and DOS. This ensures the highest degree of compatibility for REXX programs that must operate in more than one environment, now or in the future.

In addition, Personal REXX is highly compatible with IBM's implementation of the language in OS/2, VM/CMS, MVS/TSO, and OS/400.

Besides Personal REXX, Quercus Systems offers independent, REXX-related applications and products, such as the REXXTERM asynchronous communications package and the REXXLIB extension package for OS/2 REXX. More are planned for the future.

We offer many support options, all at no extra charge. In addition to traditional telephone support, we offer online support by CompuServe, email, and our own bulletin board system.

If you are already familiar with some version of REXX, you will probably want to go directly to information on Personal REXX specifically for your platform. (Note that the DOS version is packaged with either the Windows or OS/2 version, and is not available by itself.)

Windows (3.x, 95/98, NT, 2000)

DOS

OS/2

If you aren't already familiar with REXX, read on...

Just what is REXX?

REXX is an old idea... and a new one. REXX is a complete programming language with a track record of over 10 years. But it's not like traditional programming languages such as C, Pascal, or Cobol. Those languages were designed for optimizing computer performance, but they cost a lot in blood, sweat, and tears to use.

REXX, on the other hand, was designed for optimizing your performance. Beginners can get started more quickly, and advanced users can get work done much faster than with conventional languages.

It's easy to read and easy to write, by design. It's more natural than almost any other programming language, but without verbosity. It allows you to mix upper and lower case as you like, without confusing case sensitivity. It mimimizes the requirement for punctuation and unusual special characters.
REXX is a typeless language. You don't have to clutter programs with arcane type definitions. It interprets program data according to the way it is used, shielding you from time-wasting concern with the details of internal data representation.
REXX handles memory management for you. You never have to declare in advance how big an object might need to be or how many elements an array can have. Even the number of "dimensions" in an array can change according to your needs. You never have to allocate or deallocate memory. Also, REXX prevents invalid memory accesses, eliminating one of the largest and most difficult to detect causes of programming errors.

Most of all, REXX optimizes your performance by placing many advanced programming capabilities at your disposal.

REXX arrays can be indexed not only by integral values as in traditional programming languages. Instead, they can be indexed by any data value at all. This associative array indexing is like having an efficient binary search routine transparently available.
REXX abounds with facilities for efficient handling of character data. String concatenation and string parsing are language primitives. A whole library of routines for manipulating strings is part of the language.
Arithmetic in REXX is not constrained by the instruction set of the computer. You can work with numbers a thousand digits long as easily as single-digit numbers. Conversions between "fixed" and "floating-point" numbers are effortless and automatic.
REXX language statements can actually be constructed and executed while the program is running, making one of the most sophisticated tricks of artificial intelligence programming readily available to you.

What can you do with REXX?

REXX is first and foremost a personal programming language. Although it can be used on large projects by teams of programmers, it really excels when used by one individual for his or her own personal needs.

With REXX you can

Take programmed control of your computer system to make the best use all of the powerful applications and system services it contains.
Simplify and automate routine tasks you do frequently.
Write once-only utilities to solve those small but annoying problems that are just a little bit different every time they come up.
Run complex, multi-step procedures, unattended.
Combine programs and tools you already use and understand to solve awkward problems that none of them can solve alone.
Create menu systems that offer a simple, organized approach for complex tasks that you or others must perform.
Customize and tailor your computing environment to provide only the choices and alternatives you want to deal with.
Put together help and tutorial systems that offer access, in a logical sequence, to online information and documentation.
Construct special-purpose database systems that provide for convenient data entry and customized reports without using expensive, complex database software.
Be creative and try out new ideas and approaches for working with your computer.

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