I was needing a little clarification about this, as I am uncertain if I understand this correctly. ZOC was written using REXX, although ZOC is often mentioned as if it is it's own scripting language, so I am not confused if ZOC is actually something different then REXX or if they are one in the same.

I always thought Rexx was its own programming language....

Ur right REXX is it's own language, XOC was written in REXX; I am just confused on if ZOC scripts are really REXX scripts or if they are their own language similar to TWX using it's own scripting language.

There are far more qualified people to answer this one, but let me give it a crack.

Rexx is a scripting language, developed by IBM I believe.
I think ZOC uses that scripting languages, but has a number of built-in functions in addition to what plain Rexx offers.
So I believe that ZOC scripts are Rexx scripts that may include special ZOC calling conventions.

Let's see if we can get Rev to elaborate...

+EP+

EP is closest to right...

REXX is a script language developed by IBM for their OS/2 operating system. think batch files in DOS, only way better.

ZOC is a telnet app developed by a couple german guys at Emtec. they licensed a REXX interpeter way back when they started writing ZOC - and they got a really great deal on it - such a good deal that they pretty much got zero support and the company that sold it to them went out of business.

combined, ZOC + REXX is pretty powerful - and the guys at Emtec did a good job of providing lots of additional features that make the match even better. keep in mind though, that REXX was not originally designed to interact with telnet - it was designed as a powerful interpreted batch language. nevertheless, it is a fully featured programming language and it turns out to be a great match for ZOC.

to clarify, however, ZOC was NOT written in REXX - it was written in home-brew C++. ZOC provides a REXX interpreter that you can script in against the telnet stream.

Now that is clarification at its best! Thanks all! So there is a difference between a ZOC script and a REXX script, or to run a ZOC script does it need to be ran through ZOC or some instance of a ZOC compiler, or are is there actually no difference between the two as far as script support is concerned?

As first helper author to implement REXX in ATTAC, i will field this question.
The reverend is correct. REXX is a programming language written by IBM for thie OS/2 operating system.
REGINA is an open source REXX parser available on sourgeforce.

ZOC is a telnet application written by emtec. ZOC "implements" the REXX language. however, they do not use REGINA. I spoke to the emtec guys a while back. If i remember correctly, they use a product called WINREXX. This is a commercial product that they used for their application. ZOC threading ability is not 100% correct which is why you always called ZocSync during a script. ATTAC used REGINA as a parser and properly implements the threading of the scripts. SWATH implemented the REXX langauge a year or so after ATTAC and also uses the REGINA parser. ATTAC further extended the ZOC commands with an additional library of commands to be able to access the ATTAC database (ports and sectors and other goodies).
earth.

Ok, so ZOC would be specific to the program that is parsing with it (depending on additional commands that have been written into the leading program), thus a ZOC script created by one program would not reliably work on another program that incorporations ZOC within it… so a ZOC script created using ATTAC may not work in SWATH and visa vers, but a straight REXX script would work either way, and which this would also possibly explain why RevHelper’s Scripts only works with up to ZOC 4.15 as well? ...or am I still confused? ...I feel confused, hehe! [8)]

yes and no. REGINA is a parser. When you write a helper, you write the "interpreter." Basically, whenever you have a command called ZocXXXX, that is specific to Zoc. It has nothing to do with REXX. Zoc extended the language for their needs. ATTAC copied their construct names and reinterpreted them for ATTAC; therefore, the scripts are compatible. ATTAC further extended the language with ATTAC_XXXXX functions so if those functions are used, then the scripts are not 100% compatible.
earth.

All right, I think I got it (finally and hopefully); ZOC and REXX are considered different scripting languages, although are actually or basically similar in their design, just ZOC is or can be more-so customized to fit the programs application. ZOC scripts (depending on the functions used in the actual script) may be only compatible with the original terminal program that those implemented commands was based on, (as it may offer additional commands that another program my not have built into it’s interpreter processes), as is the case of ATTAC. Also, REXX scripts require the terminal program to implement the use of the REGINIA Parser. Ok, Thanks to all again, you are the best! [;)]

close....

ZOC is not a scripting language, it is an application that implements the REXX language.

REXX scripts requires ANY REXX parser, not just REGINA (for parsing) and an application (ZOC/ATTAC/SWATH) to act as the interpreter to actually implement desired functionality.
earth.

Ok I think I got it now, with much emphasis on "think". [^]