Foreword for Version 2.80

And here it is: The next version of RXT&T.

---------- * ----------

This version of REXX Tips & Tricks (except this foreword) was again edited by Dave Hicks (see EMail Addresses) for proper, correct English. He also rewrote some sections to improve and clarify the text.

Many thanks to Dave for his great work!

---------- * ----------

One highlight of the last months is the release of Object REXX for Linux. It's available on the web (see Internet - Web Pages) and it's free. And there is also a beta version of Object REXX for AIX available. Hopefully there will be further versions of Object REXX for other Unix operating systems in the future.
Note that you should download Object REXX for Linux (even if you don't have Linux running) because of the documentation in Postscript format contained in the archive.

Note further that as of 03/12/98 there is already an updated and bug fixed version of Object REXX for Linux available.

---------- * ----------

There is now another update for Object REXX for OS/2 on the web (see Internet - Web Pages) - and even the version from WARP 4 Fixpack #6 is out of date. Therefore I strongly recommend you try the version from the Web instead of the version that is part of WARP 4.

I also encourage every one to use Object REXX instead of Classic REXX in OS/2 even if you only program in Classic REXX style. Ammong others, the main reason for this is the better syntax checking of the Object REXX interpreter. I, for example, use Object REXX also to syntax-check my REXX programs for AIX and TSO.

---------- * ----------

I've finally found an official distribution point for DrDialog: Every one can download it from the IBM Developer Connection WEB page (see Internet - Web Pages).

---------- * ----------

There were some subtle bugs in the sort routines: Mostly all of the sort routines in RXT&T used normal comparision - not strict comparision. Therefore, the routines produced a wrong result if the data to sort contained leading or trailing blanks. I've fixed these bugs in this version.

Many thanks to Arthur Pool (see EMail Addresses) for the report about these bugs (including the corrected versions)!

---------- * ----------

The latest FixPaks for OS/2 Warp 3 (FP35 and above) and Warp 4 (FP6 and above) contain extensions for REXX to make it "Y2K Tolerant" (see REXX and Y2K).

---------- * ----------

Some interesting new REXX code in this version is in the sections Sample for persistent variables and Get the object ID for an object handle.

---------- * ----------

Bernd Schemmer [Team OS/2, Certified LAN Server Engineer, Certified OS/2 Engineer], Frankfurt in September 1998

(see also the General Foreword)


[Back: Foreword for Version 2.70]
[Next: Foreword for Version 2.90]