Editing Object REXX (section)

== External packages and libraries ==
Using the <code>::REQUIRES</code> [[Object REXX#Instructions|directive]] and specifying the <code>LIBRARY</code> option, external libraries can be integrated per program. Such libraries are usually organized around domain-specific functions.<ref name=":2" /> 

=== Supplied with interpreter ===

The Rexx extension library offers classes for reading and writing [[comma-separated values]] (CSV) files, as well as for creating and processing [[JSON|JavaScript Object Notation]] (JSON) data. A library called “hostemenu” is also included, which partially emulates a [[Time Sharing Option|TSO]]/[[Content management system|CMS]] environment.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ashley |first1=W. David |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/oorexx/files/oorexx-docs/5.0.0/rexxextensions.pdf |title=ooRexx Documentation 5.0.0 Rexx Extensions Library Reference |last2=Flatscher |first2=Rony G. |last3=Hessling |first3=Mark |last4=McGuire |first4=Rick |last5=Peedin |first5=Lee |last6=Sims |first6=Oliver |last7=Wolfers |first7=Jon |publisher=RexxLA |year=2022}}</ref> The RxSock native library enables to incorporate [[Internet protocol suite|TCP/IP protocols]],<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ashley |first1=W. David |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/oorexx/files/oorexx-docs/5.0.0/rxsock.pdf |title=ooRexx Documentation 5.0.0 RxSock TCP/IP Socket Functions Reference |last2=Flatscher |first2=Rony G. |last3=Hessling |first3=Mark |last4=McGuire |first4=Rick |last5=Peedin |first5=Lee |last6=Sims |first6=Oliver |last7=Wolfers |first7=Jon |publisher=RexxLA |year=2022}}</ref> while the RxFtp native library<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ashley |first1=W. David |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/oorexx/files/oorexx-docs/5.0.0/rxftp.pdf |title=ooRexx Documentation 5.0.0 RxFtp Class Library Reference |last2=Flatscher |first2=Rony G. |last3=Hessling |first3=Mark |last4=McGuire |first4=Rick |last5=Peedin |first5=Lee |last6=Sims |first6=Oliver |last7=Wolfers |first7=Jon |publisher=RexxLA |year=2022}}</ref> specifically provides access to the [[File Transfer Protocol|file transfer protocol]] (FTP). The RxMath native library offers advanced mathematical functions such as square root calculation, exponential function, logarithm, sine, cosine, tangent, arc sine and power calculation.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ashley |first1=W. David |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/oorexx/files/oorexx-docs/5.0.0/rxmath.pdf |title=ooRexx Documentation 5.0.0 RxMath Math Functions Reference |last2=Flatscher |first2=Rony G. |last3=Hessling |first3=Mark |last4=McGuire |first4=Rick |last5=Peedin |first5=Lee |last6=Sims |first6=Oliver |last7=Wolfers |first7=Jon |publisher=RexxLA |year=2022}}</ref> <syntaxhighlight lang="oorexx" style="background-color: #ffffff; !important" line="1">
Say rxcalcsin(1)                /* output: 0.0174524064     */

::requires 'rxmath' LIBRARY     /* load a native library    */

</syntaxhighlight>

For Windows, ooRexx includes the ooDialog framework allowing to produce [[Dialog box|Windows dialogs]] and therefore [[Graphical user interface|graphical user interfaces]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ashley |first1=W. David |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/oorexx/files/oorexx-docs/5.0.0/oodialog.pdf |title=ooRexx Documentation 4.2.4 ooDialog Reference |last2=Flatscher |first2=Rony G. |last3=McGuire |first3=Rick |last4=Peedin |first4=Lee |last5=Sims |first5=Oliver |last6=Wolfers |first6=Jon |publisher=RexxLA |year=2019}}</ref> The interpreter is delivered with several example programs and function packages that demonstrate the use of this framework.<ref name=":9" /> For [[POSIX]]-compatible operating systems, the orxnCurses class library enables the writing of [[Text-based user interface|text-based user interfaces]] using the [[ncurses]] programming library.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ashley |first1=W. David |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/oorexx/files/oorexx-docs/5.0.0/orxncurses.pdf |title=ooRexx Documentation 5.0.0 nCurses Class Library Reference |last2=Flatscher |first2=Rony G. |last3=Hessling |first3=Mark |last4=McGuire |first4=Rick |last5=Peedin |first5=Lee |last6=Sims |first6=Oliver |last7=Steinböck |first7=Erich |last8=Wolfers |first8=Jon |publisher=RexxLA |year=2022}}</ref> The RxUnixSys library provides functions on most [[Unix]] systems for interacting with processes and threads, users and user groups, files and [[File system|file systems]] and other.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ashley |first1=W. David |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/oorexx/files/oorexx-docs/5.0.0/unixextensions.pdf |title=ooRexx Documentation 5.0.0 Unix Extensions Function Reference |last2=Flatscher |first2=Rony G. |last3=Hessling |first3=Mark |last4=McGuire |first4=Rick |last5=Peedin |first5=Lee |last6=Sims |first6=Oliver |last7=Steinböck |first7=Erich |last8=Wolfers |first8=Jon |publisher=RexxLA |year=2022}}</ref> Many of these external packages and libraries are also compatible with other [[Rexx#Toolkits|Rexx implementations]].

=== Not supplied with interpreter ===
{{stub-section|date=January 2025}}
There are also packages that need to be downloaded and added manually. As part of the Net-oo-rexx bundle, the Regex package enables handling regular expressions, while Log4rexx provides a logging framework and Oorexxshell an interactive ooRexx shell.<ref name=":12" />

The Mod_Rexx package provides a module for [[Apache HTTP Server|Apache]] 2.4 that gives an interface to ooRexx under Windows, AIX and Linux and enables all phases of an Apache request to be processed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-17 |title=Mod_rexx |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/modrexx/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=SourceForge |language=en}}</ref> The Rexx Parser package provides an [[abstract syntax tree]] parser for Rexx and ooRexx, which assigns a category to all script elements, while the Rexx Highlighter package expands the parser and enables highlighting to be output as HTML, [[ANSI escape code|ANSI colors]], [[LuaTeX|LuaTex]] and [[LaTeX]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rexx Parser |url=https://rexx.epbcn.com/rexx-parser/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=rexx.epbcn.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rexx Highlighter |url=https://rexx.epbcn.com/rexx-parser/doc/highlighter/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=rexx.epbcn.com}}</ref> The Rexx XML parser enables the parsing of [[XML]] files into an in-memory model and access to this model via a [[Document Object Model|DOM]]-like API.<ref>{{Citation |last=Armstrong |first=Andrew |title=abend0c1/rexxxmlparser |date=2024-12-02 |url=https://github.com/abend0c1/rexxxmlparser |access-date=2025-02-14}}</ref>

ooRexxUnit is a test framework inspired by [[JUnit]] that enables the execution of ooRexx test cases that help to verify whether an application's specifications are met.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Flatscher |first=Rony G. |year=2006 |title=ooRexxUnit: A JUnit Compliant Testing Framework for ooRexx Programs |url=https://wi.wu.ac.at/rgf/rexx/orx17/ |journal=The 2006 International Rexx Symposium}}</ref>