Using OPS/REXX › Uses of OPS/REXX in the Product › Similarities Between OPS/REXX and Standard REXX

Similarities Between OPS/REXX and Standard REXX

Both OPS/REXX and the standard REXX language enable you to issue commands to various host environments. Both versions of REXX offer symbolic substitution that is simpler than in the TSO/E CLIST language or in z/OS JCL.

The current version of OPS/REXX supports these standard REXX features:

• All REXX programming structures as defined in the book THE REXX LANGUAGE: A Practical Approach to Programming by M.F. Cowlishaw. For example, OPS/REXX supports counter variables on DO statements and the PROCEDURE statement.
• All standard SAA REXX functions plus most of the functions documented in the second edition of the Cowlishaw book, except for the I/O functions (CHARIN, CHAROUT, CHARS, LINEIN, LINEOUT, and LINES).
• Numbers with decimal points and exponents, as well as numeric digits with a precision up to 20 (default 9).
• Strings containing as many as 32,000 characters, including strings to ISPEXEC to support long commands and values of all REXX variables including global variables. OPS/REXX can build dynamic display areas in panels.

  The CA OPS/MVS REXXMAXSTRINGLENGTH parameter enables you to use a lower maximum string length if you want.