Rexx
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| Paradigm | multiparadigm: procedural, structured |
|---|---|
| Designed by | Mike Cowlishaw |
| Developer | Mike Cowlishaw, IBM |
| First appeared | 1979 |
| Stable release |
ANSI X3.274 / 1996
|
| Typing discipline | Dynamic |
| Filename extensions | .cmd .exec .rexx .rex |
| Major implementations | |
| VM/SP, TSO/E V2, SAAREXX, ARexx, BREXX, KEXX, Regina | |
| Dialects | |
| NetRexx, Object REXX, now ooREXX | |
| Influenced by | |
| PL/I, ALGOL, EXEC, EXEC 2 | |
| Influenced | |
| NetRexx, Object REXX | |
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Rexx (Restructured Extended Executor) is an interpreted programming language developed at IBM by Mike Cowlishaw. It is a structured, high-level programming language designed for ease of learning and reading. Proprietary and open source REXX interpreters exist for a wide range of computing platforms; compilers exist for IBM mainframe computers.
Rexx is widely used as a scripting and macro language, and is often used for processing data and text and generating reports; these similarities with Perl mean that Rexx works well in Common Gateway Interface (CGI) programming and it is indeed used for this purpose. Rexx is the primary scripting language in some operating systems, e.g. OS/2, MVS, VM, AmigaOS, and is also used as an internal macro language in some other software, such as KEDIT, THE and the ZOC terminal emulator. Additionally, the Rexx language can be used for scripting and macros in any program that uses Windows Scripting Host ActiveX scripting engines languages (e.g. VBScript and JScript) if one of the Rexx engines is installed.
Rexx is supplied with VM/SP on up, TSO/E Version 2 on up, OS/2 (1.3 and later, where it is officially named Procedures Language/2), AmigaOS Version 2 on up, PC DOS (7.0 or 2000), and Windows NT 4.0 (Resource Kit: Regina). REXX scripts for OS/2 share the filename extension .cmd with other scripting languages, and the first line of the script specifies the interpreter to be used. REXX macros for REXX-aware applications use extensions determined by the application. In the late 1980s Rexx became the common scripting language for IBM Systems Application Architecture, where it was renamed "SAA Procedure Language REXX."
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