Editing Object REXX (section)

== History ==
In 1988, the "Oryx" project at [[IBM]], under the technical direction of Simon C. Nash, experimented with merging classic Rexx with the [[object model]] of [[Smalltalk]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=7 Reasons that Rexx Still Matters |url=https://smartbear.com/en/blog/7-reasons-that-rexx-still-matters/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=SmartBear.com}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=IBM Object REXX - EDM2 |url=http://www.edm2.com/index.php/IBM_Object_REXX |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=www.edm2.com}}</ref> The motivation behind the project was to transfer the advantages of OOP to classic Rexx while remaining compatible and thus transferring the [[usability]] of classic Rexx to OOP.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nash |first=Simon C. |date=1990-06-11 |title=Object Oriented REXX |url=https://www.slac.stanford.edu/pubs/slacreports/reports10/slac-r-368.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the REXX Symposium for Developers and Users |page=76-100}}</ref> Early on, the projects focused on OOP aspect such as treating [[Object REXX#Everything is an Object|everything as an object]], object-based [[Encapsulation (computer programming)|encapsulation]] and [[message passing]], object-based [[Concurrency (computer science)|concurrency]], [[Class (computer programming)|classes]] and [[Inheritance (object-oriented programming)|inheritance]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nash |first=Simon C. |date=2009-05-21 |title=An Object Rexx Retrospective |url=https://www.rexxla.org/presentations/2009/objrexx-perspective.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the 20th Rexx Language Symposium}}</ref>
[[File:ObjectREXX.png|alt=IBM Object REXX Logo|thumb|Object REXX (until 2004)|150x150px]]
This initial work later led under the direction of Rick McGuire to the first prototype of Object REXX, which was presented in 1992. In 1994, IBM announced that Object REXX would replace classic Rexx as the standard REXX interpreter in the next version of [[OS/2]].<ref name=":1" /> In 1996, Object REXX{{efn|Including interfaces to  [[IBM System Object Model|System Object Model (SOM)]] and [[Workplace Shell|Workplace Shell (WPS)]]}} was released as part of the [[OS/2 Warp 4]] operating system.<ref name="OS2">{{Cite web |title=IBM Object REXX for OS/2 - EDM2 |url=http://www.edm2.com/index.php/IBM_Object_REXX_for_OS/2 |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=www.edm2.com}}</ref> In 1997, versions for [[Windows 95]], [[Windows NT]] and [[Linux]] followed.<ref name="Win95">{{Cite web |date=1997-02-25 |title=IBM Object REXX Now Runs on Windows NT and Windows 95 |url=https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/announcements/archive/ENUSA97-0098 |publisher=IBM}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schweizer |first1=Manfred |last2=Berger |first2=Uwe |date=2005-04-21 |title=From Object REXX to ooRexx |url=https://www.rexxla.org/presentations/2005/manfreds.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the 16th Rexx Language Symposium}}</ref> In 1999 an Object REXX version for [[IBM AIX|AIX]] V4.1.5 or higher was released.<ref name="AIX">{{Cite web |date=1999-03-30 |title=IBM Object REXX for AIX - Object-Oriented Scripting Language for Beginners to Advanced Programmers |url=https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/announcements/archive/ENUSZP99-0143 |publisher=IBM}}</ref> In 2000, versions for [[Linux on IBM Z|zLinux]] and [[Oracle Solaris|Sun/Solaris]] followed. For [[Windows 2000]], [[Windows Me]], [[Windows 98]] and [[Windows NT 4.0]], the last major update for Object REXX was released in 2001.<ref name = "V2R1">{{Cite web |date=2001-03-20 |title=IBM Object REXX for Windows V2R1 - Object-Oriented Programming for Beginners to Advanced Users |url=https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/announcements/archive/ENUSZP01-0207 |publisher=IBM}}</ref>
[[File:Rexx3 orig size transparent.gif|alt=ooRexx logo|thumb|ooRexx (since 2005)]]
On 12 October 2004, IBM announced the discontinuation of Object REXX and transferred the [[source code]] and licensing rights{{efn|Excluding the SOM and WPS packages}} to the non-profit [[Special interest group|Special Interest Group]] (SIG), the Rexx Language Association (RexxLA). The code that IBM released to open source did not include the classes for [[IBM System Object Model]] (SOM), which is known as the object framework for OS/2's [[Workplace Shell]] (WPS).<ref>[[sourceforge:p/oorexx/discussion/408479/thread/1f93f87f/|Where did SOM support go in 4.0.0?]]</ref> Although IBM discontinued the development of SOM in 1997, it is still a fundamental framework for OS/2.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SOM and Object REXX - EDM2 |url=http://www.edm2.com/index.php/SOM_and_Object_REXX |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=www.edm2.com}}</ref> The OS/2 version of Object REXX includes classes to support SOM and WPS.<ref>{{cite web |author=Willis Boughton |year=2004 |title=SOM and Object REXX |url=http://www.edm2.com/index.php/SOM_and_Object_REXX |access-date=2014-02-02 |publisher=<abbr title="Electronic Developer Magazine for OS/2">EDM/2</abbr>}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Object REXX Reference |publisher=IBM |section=Accessing Workplace Shell Objects}}
</ref> These are included in OS/2's initial follow-on product, [[eComStation]], and also in its current descendant, [[ArcaOS]], for which IBM's original Object REXX interpreter continues to be available.<ref>{{cite web |title=Does ArcaOS include REXX support? |url=https://www.arcanoae.com/faqwd/does-arcaos-include-rexx-support/ |access-date=2020-09-03}}</ref>

In 2005, the RexxLA released ooRexx as a new incarnation of Object REXX as [[free and open-source software]] under the [[Common Public License]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-10-12 |title=Software withdrawal and service discontinuance: IBM Object REXX |url=https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/announcements/archive/ENUSZP04-0453 |publisher=IBM}}</ref> This first version of ooRexx 3.0.0 has been heavily [[Code refactoring|refactored]] compared to the original IBM source code in order to increase readability. Later, the ooRexx kernel was rewritten in pure [[C++]], and a new [[Software architecture|architecture]] and native [[Interface (object-oriented programming)|interface]] were designed and implemented under the technical direction of Rick McGuire. This work enabled the RexxLA to release ooRexx 4.0.0 with support for [[64-bit computing|64-bit]] in 2009. To this day, the RexxLA continues to develop, support and maintain ooRexx as well as classic Rexx and [[NetRexx]]. Furthermore, the RexxLA organizes international annual symposia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RexxLA - Rexx Symposia |url=https://www.rexxla.org/events/symposium.rsp |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=www.rexxla.org}}</ref>