UH2@psuvm.psu.edu (Lee Sailer) (08/29/90)
According to this weeks INFO WORLD, IBM is planning to release REXX as
part of the software development kit distributed with OS/2. It is
quite hilarious to read what the IW journalists make of this---will
it replace Basic, or COBOL, they ask?
In the IBM mainframe world, REXX is a very important part of the glue that
allows users to develop systems. Curiously, even in that environment, REXX
is not as powerful as Amiga's AREXX. I think this is because with the Amiga
it is common practice to get separate processes to talk to one another via
their REXX ports, while in the IBM mainframe world a user does not
have the ability to do this. OS/2 certainly *could* be set up like
AREXX, but I don't know if it will be.
One of IW's pundits dismissed REXX as a "glorified .BAT language". Boy!
I'll say.
leen350bq@tamuts.tamu.edu (Duane Fields) (10/10/90)
I have a few questions about rexx. I am wanting to write a script for Atalk or VLT. I want the Rexx script to send commands to Atlk (or vlt) and then get responses back. I can send commands to Atalk, and I think I know how to send rex commands from Atalk, but here is the prob: How do I make Atalk send a mesg to the rexx script in progress to do something? Example, The script tells Atalk to "DIAL xxx-xxx" it then tells Atalk to "WAIT for 'Conect'" or whatever and then log that it made a connection before continuing. This way I could make it log on, check my mail, read news, or whatever. And, NO I don't wont to just buffer the whole thing!!! Duane
papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) (10/10/90)
In article <8933@helios.TAMU.EDU> n350bq@tamuts.tamu.edu (Duane Fields) writes: >I have a few questions about rexx. I am wanting to write a script for Atalk or >VLT. I want the Rexx script to send commands to Atlk (or vlt) and then get >responses back. I can send commands to Atalk, and I think I know how to send >rex commands from Atalk, but here is the prob: How do I make Atalk send a mesg >to the rexx script in progress to do something? >Example, The script tells Atalk to "DIAL xxx-xxx" it then tells Atalk to >"WAIT for 'Conect'" or whatever and then log that it made a connection before >continuing. This way I could make it log on, check my mail, read news, or >whatever. And, NO I don't wont to just buffer the whole thing!!! I can only speak for A-Talk III scripts, but the script DIAL command will do the appropriate exchange, including gobbling the CONNECT string. It will also put the result of DIAL in the RC variable, so the Rexx script can check for success/failure of the dial. Of course you must have selected the appropriate modem for this to work. You could also do away with the DIAL command and implement it with: REPLY "ATDT666-888" ON "CONNECT" do this ON "BUSY" goto there etc... Note that the RC variable is set only in later versions of 1.2 and in all versions of A-Talk III 1.3x (x = a, b, c). A-Talk III has the STRING command to send input string from the host back to the Arexx script. Look at the examples in the manual, under the STRING script command. -- Marco -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "Xerox sues somebody for copying?" -- David Letterman -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
n350bq@tamuts.tamu.edu (Duane Fields) (10/11/90)
I have yet one more REXX question, I want to send variable arguments to atalk3. example: (rexx program) /* program */ test="Howdy user" address atk "echo" user /*end*/ This program makes atalk echo only "H" what am I doing wrong? -Duane
papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) (10/11/90)
In article <8971@helios.TAMU.EDU> n350bq@tamuts.tamu.edu (Duane Fields) writes: >I have yet one more REXX question, I want to send variable arguments to atalk3. >example: (rexx program) >/* program */ >test="Howdy user" >address atk "echo" user >/*end*/ >This program makes atalk echo only "H" what am I doing wrong? Wrong syntax. Check the syntax for ECHO on p. 11-8, and the Arexx example on p. C-3 of the A-Talk III manual. -- Marco -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "Xerox sues somebody for copying?" -- David Letterman -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
n350bq@tamuts.tamu.edu (Duane Fields) (10/11/90)
OOPS!!!! I made an error in my previous post!! The Rexx line should read: address atk "echo" test where test is the variable which holds a string..... So sorry to take up the bandwidth....