The 2007 International Rexx Symposium
30 April - 3 May 2007
Tampa, Florida, USA

Title	ISPF Application Technique with REXX
Speaker	Frank Clarke
Abstract	Introduction to the Services: TBCREATE, TBQUERY, TBOPEN, TBSORT, TBSARG, TBSCAN, TBADD, TBMOD, TBDELETE, TBCLOSE, TBEND, FTOPEN, FTINCL, FTCLOSE and a brief explanation of each. Presentation of a typical problem: Creating and maintaining a simple table - AAMSTR Such applications store data for use elsewhere. Once stored the data must be maintained. This exercise doesn't care where it's used, just about maintaining it. Proposed solution Architectural view. High-level pseudo-code for the routine. Build the program Step-by-step build mainline ISPF mainline LIBDEF TBOPEN/TBCREATE TBDISPL TBCLOSE/TBEND Storing ISPF assets in-line The level of the presentation presumes a good familiarity with REXX.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	Cross-platform Rexx
Speaker	Mike Cowlishaw
Abstract	The first Rexx interpreter ran in a System 370 virtual machine, under the VM SP3 operating system. Today, virtual machines are finally available for PC operating systems, including Windows and Linux. Mike will demonstrate running Rexx in ubuntu Linux under Windows XP, and hopes to be able to demonstrate why this was an essential step for running Rexx on an entirely different, ARM-based platform.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	TeRA - A TestRunner Application for ooRexxUnit
Speaker	Rony G. Flatscher
Abstract	At the 2006 International Rexx symposium the ooRexxUnit framework was introduced for ooRexx, which allows to create test units for ooRexx public routines and public classes. ooRexxUnit comes with a simple, command line based test runner which simply informs the user about the number of tests run, how many assertions were successful and how many failed, and how many errors have occurred while conducting the tests. Throughout 2006 a student at the Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Rainer Kegel, has been learning ooRexx, ooRexxUnit, DHTML, XML and XSLT to create a set of programs which allows for employing a GUI based test runner application for ooRexxUnit. This talk gives an overview of the ooRexxUnit testing framework, the architecture of "TeRA" and then discusses and demonstrates various features of it, including the analysis and presentation of the comparison of different test runs at different times. This application should ease the running of ooRexxUnit tests and studying their results, no matter how many test units and how many test runs have to be compared over time.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides Supplemental material (Zip)

Title	log4rexx - A log4j-Comparable Logging Framework for ooRexx Applications
Speaker	Rony G. Flatscher
Abstract	While developing ooRexx applications programmers usually employ statements in the code that help debug the applications, gather (interesting) information about running those ooRexx programs and finally, report and log error conditions that may have raised while executing programs. The log4rexx framework has been devised after studying and experimenting with Apache's log4j logging framework. It attempts to apply some of the human-centric philosophy of Rexx, by simplyfying the framework as much as possible, but still allowing the creation of specialised appenders to extend the framework. The application of the log4rexx logging framework for (oo)Rexx programmers is quite simple, straight forward and therefore easy to use. The talk will also discuss the configuration possibilities of the log4rexx framework which opens interesting possibilities to monitor and control deployed (oo)Rexx code.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides PDF of article21 May 2007 Zip of log4j software21 May 2007

Title	Using the Rexx Compiler
Speaker	George Fulk
Abstract	Do you want your Rexx code to run faster? Do you want to syntax check your code fully before you run it? Do you want to protect your intellectual property? If you answered 'YES' to any of these questions, then this session is for you. This session will show you how to use the Rexx compiler in VM and TSO environments. We will discuss performance enhancements, programming considerations, optimization and optimization stoppers when using the Rexx compiler. If you want to know when to use the Rexx Library or the Alternate Library, the answer will be given in our session, too!
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	Open REXX SHARE Presentation
Speaker	George Fulk
Abstract	An overview on what IBM presents at SHARE on "Open REXX". Included here is an opportunity for open discussion on Object REXX to ensure the presentation reflects the latest status.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	IBM Rexx Business Update
Speaker	Virgil Hein
Abstract	Virgil Hein, IBM's Business Executive for the Rexx product, will give a brief business update on IBM Rexx and how it is positioned/supported within IBM. Included here is a review on the activities leading to the "reaffirm" of the REXX INCITS (ANSI) Standard.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	Object REXX to Open Source
Speaker	Virgil Hein
Abstract	This session includes a review of the steps taken (how/why) to move IBM Object REXX to Open Source, with ownership ultimately transferring to REXXLA.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	RICE - The RexxLA Internet Consoldation Effort
Speaker	David Ashley and Mark Hessling (Virtual)
Abstract	Mark will begin the session with details on RICE, what it is, and what the current status of RICE is. David will continue the session with an explanation of the ooRexx build server and how it will be used. This session will conclude with a status update on some of Mark's Rexx libraries. Parts of this presentation will be made live via the Internet as Mark will not be in attendance at the Symposium.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	Easy Rexx constructs that are hard to do in Java
Speaker	René Jansen
Abstract	Although pervasive in enterprise applications, the limitations of the Java language have become an impediment to progress. In the search for a successor we explore some interesting ooRexx features that are fairly hard to duplicate in Java.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	Rexx on the Mac: Update
Speaker	René Jansen
Abstract	The plans in last year's presentation are mostly realized. We look at what is available and what needs to be done.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	Walk With A Dinosaur - The Journey from VM/CMS To A PC
Speaker	Les Koehler
Abstract	Les will present some of his experience and background at IBM before he became the first person outside of the U.K. to have a running copy of Rexx. He will then give an overview of the mainframe VM/CMS environment and its facilities and tools that he worked with before his retirement. With that as background, he'll then show how he made the transition to the PC, including: What tools he found The support and encouragement of RexxLA members that he received The 'mindset change' that helped his transition The tools he developed to ease the transition
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	Online HTML HTML files (Zip) Support files (Zip)

Title	Forage With A Dinosaur - Discover Real Problem Solving With ooRexx and Excel Automation
Speaker	Les Koehler
Abstract	Les will present the problem of making financial reports more usable by the board of directors of his Home Owners Association, where he is the treasurer. He will then show how he discovered and used ooRexx and Excel Automation resources to solve the problem. The presentaion will include a demonstration of the programs that he developed, some of the insights he gained about using ooRexx, the value of Excel Automation and discussion of some of the code problems and solutions.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	Online HTML HTML files (Zip) Support files (Zip)

Title	Rexx Objects, Part Deux
Speaker	Rick McGuire
Abstract	Rick will present a tutorial aimed at helping Classic Rexx programmers understand the base concepts of object oriented programming and how they can be applied with Open Object Rexx. The terms Encapsulation, Polymorphism, and Inheritance will most definitely be used, but in contexts that should be familiar to the Classic Rexx programmer.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides Supplemental material (Zip)

Title	Open Object Rexx: How can I get involved?
Speaker	Rick McGuire
Abstract	Rick will describe different ways people can contribute to the Open Object Rexx problem. Don't know C or C++? No problem. There are many other ways of contributing to the project, from writing test cases, documentation, samples, or neat new utilities written in Rexx.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	A Job Processing System
Speaker	Morten Mork
Abstract	Morten will explain the Job Processing System (JPS) , a schedule written in Object Rexx, and give examples of its usage. The system uses a JCL resembling IBM's JCL for VSE , and uses Rexx Interpret to make decisions.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides (14mb)

Title	Using Procedural Rexx/SQL as an ooRexx Object - Part 1
Speaker	Lee Peedin
Abstract	In part 1 of this presentation, Lee will give an overview of the procedural functions defined in Rexx/SQL and how they can be used to interact with data stored in MySQL. Lee will discuss the most commonly used (and abused) Rexx/SQL BIFs. He will stress the excellent documentation included in this Rexx external library provided by Mark Hessling. This presentation will also cover briefly how to set up and connect to MySQL from a Windows ODBC client.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides Supplemental material (Zip)

Title	Using Procedural Rexx/SQL as an ooRexx Object - Part 2
Speaker	Lee Peedin
Abstract	In part 2 of this presentation, Lee will use the object oriented features of ooRexx to write a simple "wrapper class" for the most commonly used Rexx/SQL BIFs. This wrapper class will have less than 150 lines of code and will include all necessary error handling. In addition, this wrapper will return its result set from "select" statements in an ooRexx collection - an array of directories. Full access to the data provided in the "sql communications area" (sqlca) will also be available to your calling program in an ooRexx directory.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	See details in Part 1 of this presentation

Title	Open Source Telephony: Asterisk and ooRexx
Speaker	David Ruggles
Abstract	A case study of the process Safe Data went through to move from a closed source telephony system to a completely open source telephony system. It will cover the challenges presented by this transition and how they were overcome with ooRexx.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides

Title	Change Management for OPS/MVS
Speaker	Freddy Sonnemans
Abstract	The product is aimed at automating hte maintenance activities for OPS/MVS(CA's automation product for zOS), and will assure delivery of error free automation rules/procedures to mulptile lpars.
Papers (Available to RexxLA members only)	PDF of slides Supplemental material (Zip) (13mb)