REXX Programming
Duration
Three Days
Audience
This hands-on workshop-oriented course is intended for analysts application and system programmers, system administrators, and technical support personnel who have a need to write, understand, or maintain REXX programs. This course applies to the VM/CMS, OS/390/TSO, and NetView environments
Pre-requisites
- Some previous programming experience or programming training (in any language) is essential.
- For students in the VM environment, familiarity with VM/CMS concepts and the ability to create and modify files using the XEDIT editor is necessary.
- For students in the OS/390 environment, familiarity with OS/390/TSO concepts and the ability to create and modify files using the ISPF editor is necessary.
Approach
Class consists of classroom lecture and lab sessions.
Objective
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Code REXX instructions using the proper syntax
- Construct program logic using REXX control flow instructions
- Invoke and pass parameters to REXX programs
- Code REXX instructions to accomplish file and terminal I/O
- Describe the purpose and use of the data stack
- Write REXX programs that use the data stack
- Use REXX built-in functions to manupulate data
- Create user defined functions to manipulate data
- Create user defined functions and subroutines
- Code REXX instructions that parse complex data strings
- Debug REXX programs using the REXX TRACE facility
- Identify the use of REXX command Environment
- Optional: using REXX to write Editor macros, invoke system functions, display ISPF Dialog Manager panels, and REXX in the NetView environment will be covered as required by class participants.
*This course provides instructions on the use of Restructured extended executors (REXX) language. A large number of terminal exercises are used to reinforce and emphasize the lecture material. The exercises are organized to allow students to progress at their own pace. This course assumes that the student has no previous knowledge of REXX, however, some programming background is essential.
*REXX is a general purpose, high-level, procedural language that can be used for interactive programs and offers significant advantages over older EXER/EXEC2 (VM) and CLIST (TSI and NetView) interpreted languages. REXX is similar to PL/1 or Pascel in syntax and structure, but has quite a few implementation unique capabilities.
*This course starts with some historical background of the REXX language and its position in Systems Application Architecture (SAA). Language components, operator's instructions, and functions are introduced in turn. This course also covers extensions to the languages that are pertinent to each student's environment.
Students are encouraged to develop REXX programs in class that may be useful in their current work environment. Students will be placed one per terminal, and all students will be provided with individual attention according to their required needs.
