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Getting started with OS/2 development - any recommendations?

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RTAN:
I have an amateur/hobbyist background in VB.NET but have also written some applications in Python (for Linux), in PHP (for Linux and Windows) and in C (for DOS). I'd like to start experimenting with development for OS/2 but I don't really know a good place to start. I know I'll need OpenWatcom as a compiler.

I actually though REXX might be a good place to start so I purchased SAMS Teach Yourself REXX in 21 days and I have... well... taught myself REXX in 21 days. ;D For example I've created a few scripts which run successfully to help with applying Fixpaks to a new installation.

In the old OS/2 Professional Magazine there were many adverts for VX-REXX, and I know there was also VisProREXX as a competitor for a while. I also have a boxed copy of IBM VisualAge C++ v3 courtesy of a very generous person right here via the OS2World marketplace.

Would anyone have any recommendations for where to start? Equally, does anyone know if there's a legitimate way to obtain either VX-REXX or VisProREXX anymore since I expect they've long since been abandoned now? I've been keeping an eye out for them on eBay but haven't seen them come up at all.

Any recommendations would be welcome!

Thanks,
Richard.

Olafur Gunnlaugsson:
Vispro/Rexx is now free but not open source, you can download it here: http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/dev/rexx/VISPROREXX-3_1_1.wpi

Martin Iturbide:
Hello Richard.

I'm not a reference in software development, and I don't know your current background, but this year I experimented learning some Presentation Manager samples compiling. (compiling, not developing). What I did was to learn how to set up the gcc environment to compile several OS/2 PM Samples I have on github. I talked this year at Warpstock about this.

Maybe you can start with a little sample, like reading the instructions and compile it first with gcc:
- https://github.com/OS2World/DEV-SAMPLES-C-PM-Simple

If you want, after you get used to the compiling process with gcc, later you can move with openwatcom.  (In fact that is something I want to learn eventually, to use openwatcom for compiling too). Or you can start with openwatcom... is up to you.

Regards

Dariusz Piatkowski:

--- Quote from: RTAN on December 22, 2023, 11:12:27 pm ---I have an amateur/hobbyist background in VB.NET but have also written some applications in Python (for Linux), in PHP (for Linux and Windows) and in C (for DOS). I'd like to start experimenting with development for OS/2 but I don't really know a good place to start. I know I'll need OpenWatcom as a compiler.
...
Would anyone have any recommendations for where to start? Equally, does anyone know if there's a legitimate way to obtain either VX-REXX or VisProREXX anymore since I expect they've long since been abandoned now? I've been keeping an eye out for them on eBay but haven't seen them come up at all...
--- End quote ---

So I would say the following:

1) you need to 'pick your path', that being either VACPP (which really means 3.65.x stuff) or GCC

2) if GCC is your choice, then most likely Watcom C is going to play a role, and others who are much more in-depth on this topic will be able to comment better, but stuff like WRC come into play here

In other words, I suppose the two big questions that you need to answer are:

1) are you writing from 'scratch' OS/2 stuff (for which VACPP is probably best suited, despite some of it's current limitations)

OR

2) are you most interested in porting other Linux / GCC / QT stuff over to our platform?

RTAN:
Thanks Darius. It sounds like if I go with VACPP I'll certainly learn about the history of OS/2 development but anything I write will be stuck in the past and I expect there'll be a lot fewer helpful resources if I get stuck and need to turn to an internet search engine to try and find the solution to a problem! It's a shame because I learn best when reading paper books and of course I've got those in spades courtesy of the VACPP box!

Thanks Olafur for letting me know that VisPro/Rexx is now free. I also found a copy of the full PDF manual which will allow me to learn how to use it although, as I hinted above, I may pay one of those printing companies to print it in book format for me.

Thanks Martin for your pointers about setting up the gcc environment which will certainly be necessary if I go down the gcc/watcom route. I'll also watch your Warpstock segment on YouTube to learn a bit more about this.

So plenty for me to think about then and some really good suggestions - thanks everyone!

Richard.

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