Basic Questions and Answers
By Jeff Glatt

Q: What is Reginald?
A: Reginald is a REXX interpreter. It runs scripts written in the REXX language. You can write your own scripts and have Reginald run them.

Q: What is REXX Programmer Center?
A: REXX Programmer Center is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for Reginald. Most folks simply call it RPC for brevity. RPC makes it very easy to write, test, and debug scripts you write.

RPC has a built-in editor to write your REXX scripts. This editor features syntax color highlighting for REXX instructions, and has full mouse and menu support. You can edit several scripts at once, cut and paste text between them, etc. It has a toolbar, keyboard shortcuts that you can change to your preference, and lots of other niceties.

RPC also has a built-in debugger to test and run your scripts. Each line in your REXX script is highlighted as it is executed, and the debugger displays the values of variables, and other information, in another window. You can set breakpoints on particular instructions just by double-clicking on the desired line in your script.

If you want to write a script that has its own user interface (ie, creates its own windows with mouse support, menus, buttons, sliders, list boxes, and lots of other controls), RPC also has a built-in "Window editor" to graphically create your own windows, menus, etc. Creating a window filled with graphical controls is as simple as using your mouse to drag and drop your choice of controls into the window, and resizing/positioning them with the mouse. RPC does most of the work of writing a REXX script to create and present your user interface.

RPC also has a built-in image editor to create/edit graphic files you may display in your buttons and other controls.

RPC has many other features, including online help books. The online help details the REXX language, as well as how to use RPC itself (including the Window and Image editors). With RPC, you can do all your development from one window, and documentation/help is right there. This makes REXX development easy and quick.

Q: Is there other support for Reginald?
A: Yes, lots. There are many other add-on packages available. For example, there is an add-on package to add features to access the internet from your REXX script, a package to add ODBC (ie, database) support, a package to speak text, MIDI support, etc.

You do not need to install these extra packages if you don't intend to use that extra support.

But the support is there, and RPC's online help even includes details about using all of these add-on packages.

Q: Is there a price for any of this stuff?
A: No. It's all freeware.

Q: Who maintains all this software?
A: A guy by the name of Jeff Glatt. Ask the FBI about him.

Q: I just tried out Reginald and RPC, and it looks like a very complete, mature, intuitive development tool like Microsoft's Visual Studio. There's a lot here. How can it all be free?
A: Because I'm extremely generous. Or crazy. Or just plain stupid. It all depends upon your point of view.

But yes it's all free, and there's a lot there because I've been working on it for years.

Q: Is there somewhere online I can ask questions about Reginald and its tools/support?
A: You can post questions about Reginald and its related software at the Reginald REXX forum. To contact Jeff directly, email to:

Q: Where can I get software updates, and the latest versions?
A: You can get them from The REXX User's Page.

Q: Will I get any social diseases from using Reginald and its tools?
A: No... Well, maybe... Ok, probably. It's your call.