Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!husc6!bunny!hhg1
From: hhg1@GTE.COM (Hallett German)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.rexx
Subject: Some Beginner's Questions/Impressions on REXX.
Message-ID: <7154@bunny.GTE.COM>
Date: 5 Jul 89 10:29:47 GMT
Organization: GTE Laboratories, Inc., Waltham, MA
Lines: 38

I am impressed with the REXX language but have some questions which
are probably beginnerish but since this group (Is there a BITNET version
may sound beginnerish (Is there a BITNET version of this group? Any
more traffice there).

1. It seems that some of the beginner's Traps for using REXX are:
   a. confusing function call with subprocedure (using CALL)
   b. Thinking DELSTR and similar built-in functions have a default
      length of 1 character rather than end of string.
   c. Trying to use SIGNAL as a GOTO for all situations
   d. Thinking internal subroutines variables are local. 

Did I miss any?

2. What type of REXX tips not in Colishaw book which would be useful to
   know? (I don't have a copy of the other REXX book by Ohara I think.)

3. Is there plans for a later version of REXX than 3.50 (that is the
   latest version I have) What new features are planned?

4. THe I/O model wasn't adopted for CMS and I think TSO. Are there any
   efforts afoot to add the CMS extensions to the REXX language (such
   as MAKEBUF,DELBUF,EXECIO,SENTRIES). This appears to be the de facto
   standard.

I am sorry if these are real basic questions. But I haven't seen the 
answer anywhere and am the only person using REXX at my site.

Hal German
GTE Labs 

C
C
C
C
C
 
    last version I have. What i