The operation of the Rexx to NetRexx translator and it's utility programs may be guided by a couple of OPTIONS, which might be set following the filenames to be processed, either preceeded by a hyphen or enclosed in parenthesis, for example:
cmd>Rexx2Nrx myfile -NOFORMAT -NOTIME
or, in the older IBM CMS style:
cmd>Rexx2Nrx myfile (NOBIF NOUSE NOLOAD)
As usual in IBM CMS systems, the closing parenthesis may be omitted in the latter case. Note that the blank before the opening parenthesis "(" is required to avoid ambiguities (for instance with MVS file-name conventions, where members might follow the file-designator). I'm so happy that every operating system re-invented the wheels again (Just to be a bit sarcastic; It 's like the backslash in Microsoft DOS path-names! wouldn't it have been so easy to re-use the slash (/) for this purpose like in Unix and other file-systems??).
Anyway, the available options are:
| Option | Rexx2Nrx property | purpose and meaning |
| NOTE | opt_note | copy Notes from source to target |
| RTP | opt_RTP | import Rexx2Nrx run-time package functions & properties when used in your module in question automatically (without the need to %INCLUDE them). |
| CMD | opt_CMD | allow implicit Rexx commands (clauses starting with a SYSTEM command) |
| BIF | opt_BIF | use BUILTIN functions when present.NOBIF does allow you to force all BUILTIN functions to be regarded as EXTERNAL. |
| USE | opt_USE | USE $NDECL when present: This option is only of interest on the HOST computer, where you don't have any Java packages. Thus, the package information is store in '$NDECL' files. |
| LOAD | opt_load | perform automatic loading of classes of current directory, run-time package routines, and builtin functions. This is now the default operation. use NOLOAD to disable it. |
| LOCALIZE | opt_localize | Localize variables as far as possible (avoid unnecessary GLOBAL variables). NOLOCALIZE is still the default, as this is the methodology classic REXX uses ... |
| EXPLICIT | opt_explicit | force explicit typing of generated NetRexx variables (same meaning than in NetRexx!). |
| PACKAGE | opt_package | use preprocessed packages, whenever available. The already preprocessed packages are used instead of %INCLUDES and %REQUIRES directives. Should be used with care: is only for power users. |
| BUILD | opt_build | build NetRexx/Java classes for associated Stems (bottom up only) . Collections of stems with the same prefix (like item_name., item_type., item_length, ...) are pushed to a Java class 'Item' with the public properties name,type,length). This classes extend Object, and imply then subscripted strings are converted to indexed objects. This option is still in an experimental stage (22.11.2002).. |
| LIST | opt_list | display item list at end of program |
| LSTRING | opt_long_strings | do allow LONG string literals (string literals crossing multiple lines in source code) |
| SHORT | opt_short | use SHORT integers (instead of default Java 4-byte integers) |
| LONG | opt_long | use LONG integers (instead of default Java 4-byte integers) |
| TYPE | opt_type | perform automatic typing algorithms. This is the default, whilst very cumbersome. Use NOTYPE to suppress the automatic typing provided by Rexx2Nrx. |
| XREF | opt_xref | build xref for all items |
| ATTENTION | opt_attention | display attention messages; attention messages are both displayed on the screen and pushed to the trasnlated program as comments for reminder.. |
| STACK | opt_Stack | generate Stacked I/O for the REXX PULL and PARSE PULL verbs. Note that NOSTACK is the default for efficieny now. Hence, when you DO need the REXX Stack, specify Option STACK, please. |
| SYMBOLIC | opt_symbolic | allow symbolic references to Variables (classic REXX functions symbol and value) .When either 'value' or 'symbol' are used in your program, this option will now be forced by the translator. |
| SOURCE | opt_source | capture source lines in code-file: Actually, only a reference to the source lines is captured to enable cource tracing when desired. |
| FORMAT | opt_format | format generated NetRexx-Source code; NOFORMAT implies NONOTE.and NOCOMMENT. |
| BINARY | opt_binary | NetRexx option binary ON (use Java, not Rexx strings by default, and type all Variables) |
| LOGO | opt_logo | display Rexx2Nrx LOGO infromation (owenership) |
| VERBOSE | opt_verbose=0:5 | verbose level 0 thru 5, default is 3 |
| PAUSE | opt_pause | pause after full screen of messages (m_screen_lines line / page) |
| STRICTASSIGN | opt_strictassign | generate Strict assignments (as NetRexx) |
| STRICTCASE | opt_strictcase | use strict comparisonn for names(as NetRexx) opt_strictcase not yet implemented!, 27.8.2001, Th. Schneider |
| TIME | opt_time | display timing info (for measuring execution times; only in effect when verbose > 0) |
| STATS | opt_stats | display statistic messages (only in effetc when verbose > 0) |
| TEST | opt_test | set TEST flag, do NOT purge intermediate files, but keep them for further inspection. Used for problem investigatiuon and resolution. |
| DOC | opt_doc | save DOC comment lines (/*DOC: .....*/) in DOC-file |
| WARN | opt_warn | display warnings |
| QUIET | opt_quiet | do NOT display any messages on the screen, but keep them in the LOG file only. |
| NOLOG | opt_log | do NOT LOG the messages in PP.LOG (note that LOGGING of all messages is the default!) |
| TS | trace_source | trace all source lines when processed. Note that REX_PARS, REX_TYPE, and REX_NRX will trace the source lines in turn when you use this option. It is NOT equivalent to the REXX TRACE command! But it might be useful to localize errors in the parser, analyser, or translator. |
Options may be entered after the filename in the invokation line (prefixed by a hyphen or enclosed in parenthesis), as noticed above..
Alternately. you may provide a file 'Rexx2Nrx.globals' in your current directory to define the options desired. In this case, each line of the file should contain one of the Rexx2Nrx properties denoted above with the approptiate value, in the simple syntax:
property_name = value [/* note */]
When you believe an option is missing but needed for practical usage, please send a mail to Thomas.Schneider@Donauland.at or put an appropriate entry to the NEWS-Group 'COMP.LANG.REXX' under the entry 'Rexx2Nrx release 4.00' ( COMP.LANG.REXX is available thru www.GOOGLE.de (GROUPS) or a similar Internet searching engine).