1. Introduction -- 1.1 REXX background -- 1.2 REXX characteristics -- 1.3 REXX applications -- 1.4 REXX's future -- 2. REXX Facilities -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 REXX structure -- 2.3 REXX expressions -- 2.4 Statements -- 2.5 Invocation of a REXX exec -- 2.6 Comparison with CLISTs -- 3. REXX Processing Elements -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Statements -- 3.3 Routines -- 3.4 Types of instruction -- 3.5 Control processing flow -- 3.6 Assignment -- 3.7 Stack (queue) processing -- 3.8 Parsing -- 3.9 Debugging -- 3.10 Miscellaneous instructions -- 3.11 Commands -- 3.12 Special variables -- 4. REXX Instructions -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Instruction descriptions -- 4.3 Examples -- 5. Exception Handling -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Condition traps -- 5.3 Explicit invocation -- 6. String Processing -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Word parsing -- 6.3 Delimiter parsing -- 6.4 Positional parsing -- 6.5 Dynamic parsing -- 6.6 Argument parsing -- 6.7 Worked examples -- 7. Numbers and Arithmetic -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Number -- 7.3 Arithmetic operators -- 7.4 Precision and representation -- 7.5 Sequence of operations -- 7.6 Numeric formatting -- 8. Input/Output -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Data buffering -- 8.3 Opening and closing the data files -- 8.4 Terminal operations -- 8.5 File-mode operations -- 9. Debugging -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Exception conditions -- 9.3 Tracing options -- 9.4 Trace output -- 9.5 Interactive debug -- 9.6 Parametric debug -- 9.7 Errors with host commands and functions -- 10. REXX Built-in Functions -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Function definitions -- 10.3 Examples -- 11. Host REXX Commands -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Host REXX command definitions -- 11.3 Example -- 12. MVS Command Functions -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 MVS command function calls -- 12.3 Invocation of other TSO commands -- 12.4 Example -- 13. REXX Invocation -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 Invocation from TSO/ISPF -- 13.3 Invocation from batch TSO -- 13.4 Invocation from batch -- 13.5 Linkage to the host environment -- 13.6 Linkage to programs -- 13.7 Interface with ISPEXEC (ISPF Dialog Manager) -- 13.8 Interface with ISREDIT (ISPF/PDF Edit macro) -- 13.9 Interface with DB2 (Database2) -- 13.10 Interface with QMF (Query Management Facility) -- 13.11 Interface from programs with REXX -- 14. System Interfaces -- 14.1 Introduction -- 14.2 General conditions -- 14.3 Invocation of a REXX exec -- 14.4 Interface from programs to REXX processor (IRXEXEC) -- 14.5 Program access to REXX variables (IRXEXCOM service) -- 14.6 Stack processing (IRXSTK service) -- 14.7 Command interface -- 14.8 Function interface -- 14.9 Function package -- 14.10 Load routine (IRXLOAD service) -- 14.11 Initialisation routine (IRXINIT service) -- 14.12 Get result (IRXRLT service) -- 14.13 Control blocks -- 14.14 Examples -- 15. Worked Examples -- 15.1 Introduction -- 15.2 Worked example -- 15.3 Worked example -- 15.4 Worked example -- 15.5 Worked example -- 15.6 Worked example -- 16. REXX Compiler -- 16.1 Introduction -- 16.2 JCL procedures -- 16.3 Compiler options -- 16.4 Combining compiled objects -- 16.5 Stubs -- 16.6 Performance -- 16.7 Compatibilty -- 17. Other Environments -- 17.1 Introduction -- 17.2 REXX for CICS -- 17.3 REXX for UNIX Services -- 18. Program Development -- 18.1 Introduction -- 18.2 Reusability -- 18.3 Readability -- 18.4 Reliability -- 18.5 Maintainability -- 18.6 Compatibility -- 18.7 Performance -- 18.8 Expansibility -- 18.9 Stepwise refinement -- 18.10 Portability -- 18.11 Testing -- 18.12 Run-time debugging -- 18.13 Development with the REXX compiler -- Appendix A. Syntax Notation -- Appendix B. Glossary.