New REXXUTIL functions in Object REXX

The new Object-Oriented REXX contains an enhanced REXXUTIL DLL. This DLL exports a lot of new functions in addition to the normal REXXUTIL DLL (see below).

You don't need to install Object-Oriented REXX to use its enhanced REXXUTIL DLL. The DLL also runs under Classic REXX in OS/2 WARP 3 and OS/2 WARP Version 4. (Note that the default REXX interpreter in OS/2 WARP 4 is still Classic REXX!)

Use one of the following methods to use the new REXXUTIL.DLL in Classic REXX when Classic REXX is your default (i.e., currently installed) REXX.

Using the new REXXUTIL.DLL as default REXXUTIL.DLL

To use the new REXXUTIL.DLL as the default REXXUTIL.DLL with Classic REXX, rename the original REXXUTIL.DLL to something like REXXUTIL.BAK. Then copy the file REXXUTIL.DLL (and REXXCRT.DLL in OS/2 WARP 3) from Object-Oriented REXX to the OS/2 DLL directory \OS2\DLL and reboot.
Note that in OS/2 WARP Version 4 the new REXXUTIL.DLL is named OREXUTIL.DLL when Classic REXX is the default REXX interpreter. (When Object-Oriented REXX is installed as the default REXX, OREXUTIL.DLL is automatically renamed to REXXUTIL.DLL and the corresponding DLL for Classic REXX becomes CREXUTIL.DLL)

That's it.

Using only the new functions from the new REXXUTIL.DLL

To use only the new functions from the new REXXUTIL DLL, copy the REXXUTIL.DLL from Object-Oriented REXX into a new directory, for example C:\OREXX.
In OS/2 WARP 3 you must also copy the DLL REXXCRT.DLL from Object-Oriented REXX into the OS/2 DLL directory; in OS/2 WARP Version 4 this DLL already exists in the OS/2 DLL directory.

To use a function from the new REXXUTIL DLL, simply load it using RxFuncAdd. You must use the RxFuncAdd statement for every function from the new REXXUTIL.DLL you need -- you cannot use SysLoadFuncs! It's also important in this case that you use the fully qualified name for the DLL in the RxFuncAdd statement!
Example:

 
/* To show how we can have the REXXUTIL DLL for Classic REXX loaded   */
/* as the default and -- at the same time -- use the new functions of */
/* the Object REXX DLL, in this example we'll first load REXXUTIL     */
/* from Classic REXX. (This first step is not required every time you */
/* call a function from Object REXX's REXXUTIL.)                      */

/* load the REXXUTIL DLL from Classic REXX                            */
  call RxFuncAdd "SysLoadFuncs", "REXXUTIL", "SysLoadFuncs"
  call SysLoadFunc

/* load the functions SysBootDrive and SysProcessType from the new    */
/* REXXUTIL DLL                                                       */
/* (assuming the new REXXUTIL.DLL is in the directory C:\OREXX)       */

  call RxFuncAdd "SysBootDrive",   "c:\orexx\rexxutil", "SysBootDrive"
  call RxFuncAdd "SysProcessType", "c:\orexx\rexxutil", "SysProcessType"

Following is a list of the new functions in the REXXUTIL.DLL from Object-Oriented REXX (Please note that the following links will only work if Object REXX is the default REXX interpreter on your system!):

• SysAddRexxMacro
  add a routine to the REXX macro space
  SysClearMacroSpace
  clear the REXX macro space
  SysDropRexxMacro
  remove a routine from the REXX macro space
  SysLoadRexxMacroSpace
  load a function into the REXX macro space
  SysQueryRexxMacro
  query the existence of a macro space function
  SysReorderRexxMacro
  change the order in the REXX macro space
  SysSaveRexxMacroSpace
  save the REXX macro space
  SysCreateEventSem
  create or open an OS/2 event semaphore
  SysOpenEventSem
  open an OS/2 event semaphore
  SysPostEventSem
  post an OS/2 event semaphore
  SysResetEventSem
  reset an OS/2 event semaphore
  SysWaitEventSem
  wait on an OS/2 event semaphore
  SysCloseEventSem
  close an OS/2 event semaphore
  SysBootDrive
  get the OS/2 boot drive
  SysFileSystemType
  get the name of the file system for a drive
  SysQueryEAList
  retrieve a complete list of EA names
  SysElapsedTime
  use the OS/2 high-frequency timer service
  SysCreateMutexSem
  create or open an OS/2 mutex semaphore
  SysOpenMutexSem
  open an OS/2 mutex semaphore
  SysCloseMutexSem
  close an OS/2 mutex semaphore
  SysReleaseMutexSem
  release an OS/2 mutex semaphore
  SysRequestMutexSem
  request an OS/2 mutex semaphore
  SysGetCollate
  get the country-specific collating table
  SysMapCase
  perform national language uppercase mapping of a string
  SysNationalLanguageCompare
  compare two strings using a country-specific collating table
  SysProcessType
  get the type of the process in which the REXX program is running
  SysSetPriority
  change the priority of the current process
  SysQueryProcessCodePage
  query the current code page for the process
  SysAddFileHandle
  get and set the number of file handles
  SysSetFileHandle
  set the number of file handles available to the current process
  SysSetProcessCodePage
  change the current code page for the process
  SysShutdownSystem
  shut down the OS/2 system
  SysWildCard
  produce an OS/2 edited file name using a source name and a wild card pattern

• The updated version of Object REXX from 11 Nov 1997 (see Object REXX for OS/2) contains some additional new REXXUTIL functions. (Please note that the following links will only work if the Object REXX from 11 Nov 1997 is the default REXX interpreter on your system!) These additional functions are:

• SysQueryExtLibPath
  query the value of BEGINLIBPATH/ENDLIBPATH
  SysSetExtLibPath
  set the value of BEGINLIBPATH/ENDLIBPATH
  SysQuerySwitchList
  query the task list
  SysSwitchSession
  switch to a specific session

  Also new in this version of REXXUTIL is the ability to use the Sysini function in non-PM environments. To do this, the new DLL SHPIINST.DLL must be in the LIBPATH.

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

  The updated version of Object REXX from 18 May 1999 (see Object REXX for OS/2) contains some additional new REXXUTIL functions. (Please note that the following links will not work even if the Object REXX from 18 May 1999 is the default REXX interpreter on your system because the functions are not documented in the INF file! see Documentation for the new REXXUTIL functions) These additional functions are:

• SysDumpVariables
  Dump the contents of all variables
  SysGetFileDateTime
  Get the date of a file or directory
  SysSetFileDateTime
  Set the date of a file or directory
  SysStemCopy
  Copy a stem
  SysStemDelete
  Delete one or more entries in a stem with numbered index
  SysStemInsert
  Insert an entry in a stem with numbered index
  SysStemSort
  Sort a stem
  SysUtilVersion
  Retrieve the REXXUTIL version
  SysVersion
  Retrieve the OS version in string format

  Warning: According to some messages on CompuServe the REXXUTIL DLL from the beta versions of Object-Oriented REXX are not fully compatible with the normal REXXUTIL DLL! But now that the Special Edition of Object-Oriented REXX is available at the Net for free you shouldn't use the Beta anyway.

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