How the name REXX is derived from its expansion

harishcv · New User Joined: 29 Dec 2010 Posts: 9 Location: India

Please help me to understand how the name REXX is derived from its expansion? REXX is Restructured EXtended eXecutor or is it REstructured eXtended eXecutor (see the caps/bold). The IBM's TSO/E REXX User's Guide says REstructured eXtended eXecutor ,while IBM's REXX User’s Guide and Reference says REXX is Restructured EXtended eXecutor. I did some further research in IBM sites and presentations and found a steady variation everywhere.

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 10:05 am

harishcv · New User Joined: 29 Dec 2010 Posts: 9 Location: India

Thank you Enrico. Yes this will never make a difference in understanding and using REXX.

link which states the other expansion: (we can see many variations if we google REstructured eXtended eXecutor)
wi.wu-wien.ac.at/rgf/rexx/tmp/eagu0mst.pdf

The wikipedia says - "Originally the language was called Rex, (Reformed Executor); the extra "X" was added to avoid collisions with other products' names.For the product it became REXX, and both editions of Mike Cowlishaw's book use all-caps."

Since i happen to find two variations in the expansion, i started thinking if the second one(Restructured EX..) has something to do with the history of REXX(which was initially just REX).

just trying to understand the evolution and variations of the language which i've been using for quite a while

. Now i am quite clear after going thru the link shared by you.

Thanks again.

don.leahy · Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 6:15 pm

This might be an example of a retronym. (i.e. come up with a cool sounding name and then figure out what the letters stand for. SPUFI may be another one; the first definition I saw was "Systems Programmer User Friendly Interface". )

daveporcelan · Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 6:52 pm

This reminds me of when I was young (a long time ago), there were IBM commercials on television.

At the end it showed on the screen IBM - Word Processing

I thought it said 'Word Progressing', and they have not come up with what IBM stood for. I thought, what is with that?

Pedro · Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 9:19 pm

harishcv · New User Joined: 29 Dec 2010 Posts: 9 Location: India

The name didnt as i thought initially, but going through the "The design of the REXX Language" link shared really helped in understanding the language better.