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Published Articles >> Table of Contents >> Abstract
Winter 1994 (Vol. 16, No. 4)
pp. 15-24
The Early History of REXX
Mike Cowlishaw
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DOI Bookmark: http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/85.329753
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| Abstract |
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REXX is a procedural language with many novel features. Its goal was to make programming easier in the belief that getting the design right for people to use is more important than providing for easy implementation. REXX development depended on the use of electronic mail. As a result, and perhaps uniquely for a programming language, there is an essentially complete historical record of the design process and discussions. This article describes the early history of REXX, illustrated by quotations from the electronic mail record and from other contemporary documents.
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 References
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[1] IBM Virtual Machine/System Product Interpreter Reference, IBM Reference Manual, Order No. SC24-5239, IBM, 1983.
[2] M.F. Cowlishaw,The REXX Language, 2nd Edition, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1990.
[3] G. Goldberg and P.H. Smith,The REXX Handbook, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1992.
[4] T.E. Kurtz, "BASIC" inPreprints, ACM SIGPLAN History of Programming Languages Conf., R.L. Wexelblat, ed.,SIGPLAN Notices, Vol. 13, No. 8, Aug. 1978, pp. 103-118.
[5] IBM OS and DOS PL/I Language Reference Manual, IBM Reference Manual, Order No. GC26-3977, IBM, 1984.
[6] G. Radin, "The Early History and Characteristics of PL/I," inPreprints, ACM SIGPLAN History of Programming Languages Conf., R.L. Wexelblat, ed.,SIGPLAN Notices, Vol. 13, No. 8, Aug. 1978, pp. 227-241.
[7] IBM Virtual Machine/System Product EXEC 2 Reference, IBM Reference Manual, Order No. SC24-5219, IBM, 1981.
[8] IBM Virtual Machine/370 EXEC User's Guide, IBM Reference Manual, Order No. GC20-1812, IBM, 1973.
[9] C.J. Stephenson, "On the Structure and Control of Commands,"ACM Operating Systems Rev. (SIGOPS), Vol. 7, No. 4, 1973, pp. 22-26, 127-136.
[10] M.F. Cowlishaw, "A Reformed Executor -- REX; Initial Specification," internal IBM electronic document, Mar. 29, 1979.
[11] P.G. Capek,VM Newsletter, No. 025, IBM, May 9, 1979.
[12] M.F. Cowlishaw, "REX -- A Reformed EXecutor; Draft Specification: Version 2.9," internal IBM electronic document, June 11, 1979.
[13] P.G. Capek,VM Newsletter, No. 027, IBM, July 28, 1979.
[14] P.G. Capek,VM Newsletter, No. 030, IBM, Nov. 29, 1979.
[15] M.F. Cowlishaw, "REX -- A Reformed EXecutor; General Documentation: REX Version 1.10," internal IBM electronic document, Nov. 21, 1979.
[16] M.F. Cowlishaw, "REX -- A Reformed Executor; Development and Usage Report," internal IBM electronic document, Jan. 2, 1980.
[17] M.F. Cowlishaw, "The Design of the REXX Language,"IBM Systems J., Vol. 23, No. 4, 1984, pp. 326-335.
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 Additional Information
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Citation:
Mike Cowlishaw,
"The Early History of REXX,"
IEEE Annals of the History of Computing,
vol. 16,
no. 4,
pp. 15-24,
Winter,
1994
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