Object REXX
Version:  Pre-release

Object REXX is an object-oriented programming language that is a major extension of the popular REXX language currently available on OS/2 V2.1.  It fully supports the object oriented concepts of inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation.  It also provi
des the ability to manipulate SOM objects such as those on the OS/2 WorkPlace Shell desktop.
 
Object REXX supports both procedural and object oriented programming, and will be completely upward compatible with the existing REXX on OS/2.  This compatibility means that:
 
  --Existing REXX programs will run unchanged on Object REXX.
 
  --Existing REXX function packages will work unchanged on Object REXX.
 
  --Existing products that use REXX for a macro interface will work
     unchanged on Object REXX.
 
  --Existing REXX programming environments will work unchanged with
     Object REXX.
 
Many types of programmers will find Object REXX useful:
 
  --REXX programmers can continue programming in REXX with no change.
     Object REXX does provide some compatible improvements to the
     procedural REXX language, such as a DO OVER construct for stems,
     which will be interesting to procedural programmers.
 
  --Newcomers to object oriented programming will find that Object REXX
     is an easy way to "get your feet wet."  Mixed mode programming means
     that procedural programs can take advantage of objects like
     collections without being completely designed using the OO paradigm.
 
  --Experienced OO programmers will find that Object REXX is a powerful,
     state-of-the-art OO programming language, featuring multiple
     inheritance, object-based concurrency, and both class and instance
     based programming.
 
The following enhancements have been made to this Object REXX beta level:
 
     - Improved performance and reduced size of executables
     - Added Workplace Shell sample programs
     - Enhanced online documentation (new Object REXX Programming Guide)
     - Additional SOM support
     - Corrected miscellaneous bugs
 
Please see the READ.ME file in \TOOLKITS \OBJREXX on disc 3 for more information.  There are no prerequisites for running Object REXX on OS/2 Warp.  To run Object REXX on OS/2 2.1, the IBM System Object Model (SOM) runtime, V2.1  or later, is required.  
