Editing Object REXX (section)

=== Parsing ===
The <code>PARSE</code> keyword instruction makes it possible to quickly and flexibly parse a string and assign parts of it to variables in a single step.<ref name="fosdick" /> Subsequent instruction is used to specify the source of the string, for example <code>ARG</code> for arguments that are listed when the program or function is called, <code>VAR</code> for variables, <code>PULL</code> for data queues or standard input (typically the keyboard), <code>VALUE</code> for any expression. When using <code>VALUE</code>, the <code>WITH</code> keyword is required to specify the end of an expression, followed by a parsing pattern. This pattern can be a list of variables, a position number or literal delimiters; it is possible to use these patterns in combination. Optionally, the upper and lower case of the string can be converted before parsing.<ref name=":2" /><syntaxhighlight lang="oorexx" style="background-color: #ffffff; !important" line="1">
str = "Person: Rick McGuire" 
/* parse string using the literal ":" and blanks between words 
   into variables a ("Person"), b ("Rick"), and c ("McGuire")   */
parse var str a ":" b c         /* parse by literal and blank   */
say b c                         /* output: Rick McGuire         */
</syntaxhighlight>