# General REXX Extensions

The programs of this section are designed to improve the general usability of the REXX language and to increase the productivity of REXX programmers. These programs may be categorized as follows:

Data conversion:
  Functions are provided for converting to and from specialized numeric formats:

  D2P/P2D | Packed decimal conversions.
  D2F/F2D | Floating point conversions.
  D2PIC/PIC2D | COBOL-style numeric editing.

Stem handling:
  A function, STEMSORT, is provided for sorting the contents of certain types of stem variables (those that contain numeric subscripts).
String handling:
  A function is provided for breaking a string into its constituent tokens where the location and frequency of delimiters is not predictable in advance (PARSETOK). Another function is used to sort the blank delimited words in a string into either ascending or descending collating sequence (WORDSORT).
Pattern Matching:
  The MATCH function is used to compare strings to a pattern. The pattern may contain wild card characters.
MVS/Quick-Ref access:
  A function is provided for accessing the MVS/Quick-Ref database (QWIKREF). The results of a successful search are placed in a user-specified stem array.

  Note: Requires Chicago-Soft's MVS/Quick-Ref Release 3.0 or later.

Storage Manipulation:
  The STORAGEX function gives the REXX programmer direct access to processor main storage, using a relative addressing syntax similar to the one used by TSO TEST.
Global Variables:
  A host command environment (ADDRESS REXXTOOL) and several host commands (VPUT, VGET, VERASE) are provided to permit the sharing of data between REXX programs.

## Service Descriptions

The sections that follow describe the syntax and operation of the General REXX Extensions.

ADDRESS REXXTOOL

D2F Function

D2P Function

D2PIC Function

F2D Function

MATCH Function

OPTIONS Command

P2D Function

PARSETOK Function

PIC2D Function

QWIKREF Function

SWXTERM Function

STEMSORT Function

STORAGEX Function

VERASE Command

VGET Command

VPUT Command

WORDSORT Function

© Copyright 1998 by Open Software Technologies, Inc.