Open_Object_Rexx

Object REXX
Paradigm	Object-oriented (class-based)
Designed by	Simon C. Nash (IBM)
First appeared	1988; 36 years ago
Stable release	5.0.0 / 10 May 2023; 12 months ago
Preview release	5.1.0
Implementation language	C++
Platform	IA-32, x86-64, ARM, s390x
OS	Cross-platform: Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Solaris, OpenIndiana, AIX, FreeBSD, OS/2
License	CPL 1.0, GPLv2
Filename extensions	.rxs, .rex, .rexx, .cls
Website	www.rexxla.org
Major implementations
	ooREXX (since 2004)
Influenced by
	Rexx, Smalltalk
Influenced
	NetRexx

Object REXX

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The Object REXX programming language is a general-purpose object-oriented scripting language.

Quick Facts Paradigm, Designed by ...

Based on the Rexx programming language (often called "Classic Rexx"), Object REXX is designed to be easy to learn, use, and maintain. Object REXX retains all the features and syntax of Classic Rexx while adding full object-oriented programming capabilities.

History

Under the technical lead of Simon C. Nash, the "Oryx" project at IBM experimented with the extension of the "Classic Rexx" interpreter with object-orientated features. This work later led under the supervision of Rick McGuire to the IBM product Object REXX. Object REXX was initially introduced by IBM for the OS/2 Warp 4 operating system in 1997. IBM later ported and sold versions of the interpreter for Microsoft Windows and IBM's AIX.^[4]

Object REXX was a follow-on to and a significant extension^{[lower-alpha 1]} of the "Classic Rexx" language. Classic Rexx is a cross-platform scripting language that runs on all popular operating systems. It was originally created for the Conversational Monitor System (CMS) component of the operating system VM/SP Release 3^[5] and later implemented by IBM on Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS),^{[lower-alpha 2]} OS/2, PC DOS, and AIX. Other organizations subsequently implemented Classic Rexx interpreters for Windows, Linux, Unix, macOS, Android, and many other operating systems.

On October 12, 2004, IBM transferred the source code and the license rights to Object REXX to the Rexx Language Association (RexxLA), a non-profit special interest group (SIG). In 2005, the RexxLA released Object REXX as free and open-source software.^[7] In this new incarnation, Object REXX was rechristened Open Object Rexx (ooRexx). The RexxLA supports, maintains and further develops ooRexx and organises annual symposia for the further development of the Rexx language, including ooRexx. ^[8]

IBM's original Object REXX interpreter continues to be available in OS/2-derived operating systems, such as ArcaOS and eComStation.

Releases

The following table contains noteworthy features and changes of major ooRexx interpreter versions. All releases^[9] and the necessary documentation^[10] are available on Sourceforge. For Arch Linux based distributions the current and the development version are available as Arch User Repository. Since release 5.0.0, portable versions of the interpreter are available that allow it to be used without installation.

Legend:

Old version

Latest version

Future release

More information Major Releases, Release Date ...

Major Releases	Release Date	Notable Features and Changes
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.0.0^[11]^[12]	2005-03-30	First release of ooRexx as the open source successor to IBM's Object REXX interpreter Supports 28 keyword instructions, four directives, 29 classes with associated methods and 75 build-in functions For Windows systems, support for Object Linking and Embedding/ActiveX, Windows Script Host (WSH) engine and ooDialog 3.0.0 for creating graphical user interfaces Includes extension classes for mathematical calculation, dealing with TCP/IP sockets, regular expressions and the file transfer protocol Improved PDF documentation that supports links, meta information and document indexing
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.1.0^[13]	2006-08-21	Various enhancements of interpreter Separate documentation for ooDialog
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.1.1^[14]	2006-11-23	Support for Linux, Windows, AIX and Solaris Additional functions for the RexxUtil library Additional methods for several classes Addition of `CircularQueue` class and associated methods
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.1.2^[15]	2007-09-17	Added support for MacOS Additional methods for the `MutableBuffer`, `String` and `Object` classes Added support for Object Linking and Embedding/ActiveX interface to Open Office
Old version, no longer maintained: 3.2.0	2008-01-22	Several enhancements
Old version, no longer maintained: 4.0.0^[16]	2009-09-30	Support for 64bit versions of Linux, AIX and Windows Addition of C++ application programming interface for writing extensions Restructuring of ooDialog and addition of 7 classes and 24 methods Addition of `Buffer`, `IdentityTable`, `Orderable`, `Package`, `Pointer`, `RexxContext`, `Routine`, `WeakReference` and `SocketClass` classes and associated methods Addition of 17 samples to illustrate ooRexx concepts Separate documentation for Windows Extension library Four new methods for the `RexxQueue`, three for the `Object`, four for the `DateTime` and one each for the `Method`, `Stem` and `String` classes The `MutableBuffer` class now supports most of the `String` class methods Addition of seven methods to the `OLEObject` class, which is responsible for the Object Linking and Embedding/ActiveX interface Drop support for the Windows Script Host (WSH) engine
Old version, no longer maintained: 4.1.0^[17]	2011-09-28	Addition of `File` class including four new class methods and 29 instance methods Addition of extension library for Unix systems which includes 49 functions Separate documentation for the Rexx Extensions Library and the Unix Extensions Library Addition of extension classes for handling the comma-separated values, multipurpose internet mail extensions and simple mail transfer protocol Addition of ooSQLite extension^[18] to create, modify, and query SQL based databases Enhancement of TCP/IP socket support Additional class and method for ooDialog Additional method for `DateTime` class
Old version, no longer maintained: 4.2.0^[19]	2014-02-23	Inclusion of over 43 enhancement requests Standalone installer for ooDialog 4.2.3 and several new classes and methods Separate documentation for ooSQLite external library Systemd support for Linux system and compliance with Linux Standard Base Add trace information about method invocations Additional method each for the `String`, `Mutablebuffer`, `StackFrame`, `Queue` and `OrderedCollection` classes Additional methods for the `Relation` class, several sorting methods for `OrderedCollections` and methods for inserting and deleting elements for the `Array` class
Current stable version: 5.0.0^[20]	2022-12-22	Inclusion of a total of 86 feature requests and 76 enhancement requests Addition of several new keyword instructions Addition of several new directives Addition of `AlarmNotification`, `Json`, `MessageNotification`, `RexxInfo`, `StringTable`, `StringTable` and `Validate` classes and associated methods Additional methods for `Alarm`, `Class`, `Collection`, `Directory`, `Message`, `Method`, `MutableBuffer`, `Object`, `Package`, `Routine`, `String` and `RxFtp` classes Separate documentation for ooRexxUnit the unit testing framework for the ooRexx interpreter Separate documentation for using ncurses for writing text-based user interfaces Separate documentation for extending Rexx by using Rexx C++ application programming interfaces Separate documentation explaining the release and build environment for ooRexx
Future release: 5.1.0	upcoming

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This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Open_Object_Rexx, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[5] Object REXX and Open Object Rexx do not include all of the new features of ANSI standard Rexx, although they have many new features of their own.

[8] As part of Time Sharing Option Extensions (TSO/E) Version 2^[6]

[23] Object REXX and Open Object Rexx do not include all of the new features of ANSI standard Rexx.

[wikidata-10f32d521dae865fb5bcfeb08cbc060998f06a87-v11-1] [1]
"ooRexx (Open Object Rexx) - Browse /oorexx/5.0.0 at SourceForge.net".

[2] [2]
René Jansen (2011-12-01). "7 Reasons that Rexx Still Matters". SmartBear blog. Retrieved 2014-02-02.

[netrexx-3] [3]
"NetRexx – Programming language derived from Java and Rexx". OS/2 EWS. IBM PC BBS. 1996. Retrieved 2014-01-24.

[4] [4]
Flatscher, Rony G. (2013). Introduction to Rexx and ooRexx. Vienna: Facultas.

[6] [5]
"VM/SYSTEM PRODUCT RELEASE 3 (VM/SP RELEASE 3) 5664-167". Announcement letters. IBM. February 1, 1983. 283-018. Retrieved February 21, 2022.

[7] [6]
"IBM TSO EXTENSIONS VERSION 2". Announcement letters. IBM. April 19, 1988. 288-191. Retrieved February 21, 2022.

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"IBM Contributes Scripting Language to the Rexx Language Association, Encourages Innovation Around REXX Application Development". IBM. 2004-11-29. Retrieved 2009-06-25.

[10] [8]
"RexxLA - Rexx Symposia". www.rexxla.org. Retrieved 2024-05-17.

[11] [9]
"ooRexx (Open Object Rexx) - Browse /oorexx at SourceForge.net". sourceforge.net. Retrieved 2024-05-18.

[12] [10]
"ooRexx (Open Object Rexx) - Browse /oorexx-docs at SourceForge.net". sourceforge.net. Retrieved 2024-05-18.

[13] [11]
"ooRexx News". Sourceforge. Retrieved 18 May 2024.

[14] [12]
Open Object Rexx Reference Version 3.0.0 Edition (PDF). RexxLA. 24 March 2005. Retrieved 18 May 2024.

[15] [13]
"ooRexx News". Sourceforge. Retrieved 18 May 2024.

[16] [14]
"ooRexx News". Sourceforge. Retrieved 18 May 2024.

[17] [15]
"ooRexx News". Sourceforge. Retrieved 18 May 2024.

[18] [16]
"ooRexx 4.0.0: Readme" (PDF). Retrieved 18 May 2024.

[19] [17]
"ooRexx 4.1.0: ReleaseNotes". Retrieved 18 May 2024.

[20] [18]
"ooSQLite: Readme". Retrieved 18 May 2024.

[21] [19]
"ooRexx 4.2.0: Changes". Retrieved 18 May 2024.

[22] [20]
"ooRexx 5.0.0: Changes". Retrieved 18 May 2024.

[24] [21]
"X3.274-1996 American National Standards Institute for Programming Language Rexx" (PDF).

[25] [22]
Where did SOM support go in 4.0.0?

[26] [23]
Willis Boughton (2004). "SOM and Object REXX". EDM/2. Retrieved 2014-02-02.

[27] [24]
"Accessing Workplace Shell Objects". Object REXX Reference. IBM.

[28] [25]
"Does ArcaOS include REXX support?". Retrieved 2020-09-03.

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Open_Object_Rexx

Object REXX

History

Releases

Features

Notes

References

External links

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