OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical > Programming

REXX tutorials -- start developing applets under ArcaOS out-of-the-box

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Alfredo Fernández Díaz:
I think it is a shame that the default ArcaOS 5.1.1- installation has a 'Development' folder... populated with the single lonely 'Rexx console' object pointing to PMRexx. While somebody should try and convince the guys at ArcaNoae that 'less is more' does not apply in this case (don't we want more programming languages?), can't we tell them here and now how to improve what's currently available? Even better, can we show them? ; )

Let's start with extremely simple things: make more stuff visible by adding it to the Development folder!
1. RexxTry (a procedure that lets you interactively try REXX statements) is localized in ArcaOS 5.1.1 -- so, don't you want users to know it's there? Add "Try Rexx!" (both VIO and PM, using the 'REXX Console'!) objects.
2. Doesn't the system include a gazillion system and additional REXX libraries already? Why not have a shadow of the "REXX scripting language" folder right next to the other REXX objects in Development, so only the illiterate can miss the information?

OK, that was the obvious. Now, from another thread... tutorials?!:


--- Quote from: Jan-Erik Lärka on October 01, 2024, 06:58:57 pm ---I see that the knowledge of REXX is somewhat limited even with OS/2 users.
[...]
So what can one do with REXX you wonder?
Alex Taylor has for example written some excellent software that you may have used, both command line scripts and GUI applications like Naps and ANPM to mention a few.
Glassman wrote AutoWGet that is very helpful to fetch things from the internet
and much more...

I use ooRexx to automatically create documents with maps to send to owners of land at work, drive office applications, vector drawing applications such as OpenOffice Draw, Calc etc. split/merge/extract text PDF documents with GhostScript and retrieve routes from google between places etc.
--- End quote ---


--- Quote from: Alfredo Fernández Díaz on February 21, 2025, 12:31:41 pm ---I myself have written a few dozens of simple rexx programs. While they may not be spectacularly useful for everyone I wrote them in REXX with the idea that anyone could see right away how stuff is done, and maybe this could pique the interest of more people (or new users?) than what is currently included with the system -- who doesn't like a good tutorial? So, I could try and turn what I have into one <g> if you guys think it could be of interest and are willing to provide useful feedback.
--- End quote ---


--- Quote from: Lewis Rosenthal on February 21, 2025, 06:57:35 pm ---[...] I would welcome any additional tutorial material to help me improve [...]
--- End quote ---

So, I propose to post here applets, code snippets, and anything REXX really, aimed at
1. Usefulness for less experienced users or developers who may be scratching their heads wondering 'OK, the reference is fine, but how do I...?', or 'how does one put together X and Y?', etc.
2. Creating some fine multi-level tutorial worth being included in next releases of ArcaOS.

I will try and put together a few usable examples. Meanwhile, do not hesitate to share your knowledge here, or simply comment on how what's being posted could be improved for you!

Dariusz Piatkowski:
Hello Alfredo!

The topic you raise here is equally applicable to all the other programming languages on our platform.

'Knowledge is Power', right?

So I would suggest that where things start for us is in establishing a good Developer Library/References.

I've attached what such a library looks like on my machine, specifically focusing on REXX. This is a mix of freely available information, as well as PDF downloads of previously commercial books, etc.

Now you may argue that the PDFs in particular are illegal, etc., etc....OK, fine, so why not provide an executable d/l script that simply uses wget to pull this list down from any of the well recognized archive sites??? That way each end-user makes this decision for themselves!

Bottom line being: tutorial, try-by-example, all these things are great, but when you are new to something you ultimately need a solid 'something to go to in order to understand what the example code/API does', and that's the missing piece for us I think.

Jan-Erik Lärka:
Yes!

There are so much one can do with REXX.
Newer versions (ooRexx) can often do more with less (code).

Do show us some and let's begin there.

Steven Levine:
If one is interested in REXX, I recommend taking a look at Glassman's ooREXX port.

  https://5nets.ru/downloads/?/OORexx

It's not quite ready to replace IBM's Classic REXX or Object REXX.  The build is missing a couple of exports that break SSCC and possibly a few other REXX apps.

However, I use it regularly, especially for code that would cause IBM's REXX's to run out of memory.

IIRC Dave Yeo did a local build, but we have not discussed its status.

Dave Yeo:

--- Quote from: Steven Levine on February 22, 2025, 06:37:03 pm ---IIRC Dave Yeo did a local build, but we have not discussed its status.

--- End quote ---

I don't think it was I who did a local build.

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