Editing Object REXX (section)

=== Free-form ===
ooRexx has a [[Free-form language|free-form syntax]] where the positioning of the program code is irrelevant, which allows a high degree of flexibility. Before execution, the interpreter merges multiple unquoted blanks into one, while a character string enclosed in [[Quotation mark|quotation marks]] (single or double) is not changed. Concatenation can be requested explicitly with two vertical bars (<code>||</code>), or implicitly by separating terms with spaces or by abutting terms. Optionally, clauses can be spread over several lines by using the comma (<code>,</code>) or the minus sign (<code>-</code>) as a continuation character, or several clauses can be used in a single line, separated by a semicolon (<code>;</code>).<ref name=":2" /> Since a free-form language provides flexibility and requires fewer syntactic rules to be considered, it is assumed that it eases the learning effort by reducing the [[Cognitive load#Intrinsic|intrinsic cognitive load]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Winkler |first1=Till |last2=Flatscher |first2=Rony G. |title=Cognitive Load in Programming Education: Easing the Burden on Beginners with REXX |url=https://research.wu.ac.at/files/46150789/CECIIS_CLT_REXX.pdf |journal=Central European Conference on Information and Intelligent Systems}}</ref>
<syntaxhighlight lang="oorexx" style="background-color: #ffffff; !important" line="1">say   "Hello World!"        /* output: Hello World!             */
say "   This"     'is' -    /* trailing dash for continuation   */
        "REXX"   || "!"     /* output:    This is REXX!         */</syntaxhighlight>