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OS/2 - Technical => Programming => Topic started by: RobertM on 2007.08.01, 00:41:46

Title: Is there a way to recompile Object Rexx?
Post by: RobertM on 2007.08.01, 00:41:46
Hey all, here's a question that I think is both good and very important...

Is there a way to recompile Object Rexx? Preferably using VAC++ or something better than MS's compiler?

For some reason the later releases of Object Rexx for OS/2 (WSeB from at least CP2, perhaps earlier; and eCS) were compiled using MS's (very crappy) compiler. The differences I have noted (from earlier releases) are:


I understand that the ORexx stuff IBM released to the public lack the OS/2 parts, so obviously that would not be a route to go since OS/2 and many apps rely on Rexx... is there a way to get source and recompile using a real compiler?


Funnily, if the ORexx DLLs compiled with MS's compiler are any indication, I can definitely understand why they have so many buffer (overflow/underflow) issues, memory leaks and crashes - since this seems to indicate that the core of their problems start at the compiler - and are probably added to by issues in the actual Windows code making things even worse.

Now the question I am sure someone will ask... if I am not using any Object Rexx features, why dont I just switch back to CRexx? Well, I started using (extensively) Parse Value Caseless (which isnt supported in CRexx... just Parse Value is - no Caseless keyword support), and ChangeStr() - (which also isnt supported). I have since written my own ChangeString() function, and am working on a Parse Value Caseless replacement - both for use in CRexx... but I'd rather have a working ORexx so I can expand some of my apps and scripts to be object based (currently not too much of an issue since it's mostly web cgi stuff).


-Robert

PS: In the meantime, the ORexx DLLs on Hobbes seem far better at usability (and takes a lot longer to exhibit those memory leak/resouce problems) than the current one in eCS 1.2 - the eCS gang have told me they have heard similar reports from others, and they are looking at including the less leaky DLL in the future release, though I am not sure what stage they are at with that.