Document No. J18/02-001
Date: Dec 31, 2002
Reply to: Brian Marks
 

   Annual Report for subgroup J18.

   Covering the period from January 2002 to December 2002.

   Title of subgroup: The Programming Language Rexx.

   Informal description of work: Rexx is a programming language with a
   eighteen year history, provided by several vendors on a variety of systems.
   The committee is now maintaining the standard ANSI X3.274-1996.
   _________________________________________________________________________

   I  Executive Summary

   This was the twelth year of the project, the seventh year since the
   standard was published.  Attendance at meetings is in the 5-10 people
   range. An errata document was published last year.
   No further version of the standard is being worked on and the project
   has moved to maintenance mode.

   II Project

   a) J18 - REXX. Project Number 823-D, the existing standard.

      J18 - Extended REXX. Project Number 1139-D.   The committee voted to
      propose terminating this activity in 1998.  This change was not made
      formally until errata document was finished. Project 1139-D is not being
      worked on.

   b) There are no activities of this project that have dates associated
      with them.

   c) The project was to produce a standard for the Rexx language at the
      time the standard was written.

   d) None

   e) Status: This project is now in maintenance mode.

   III Committee Activities

   a) Last meeting, April 29, 2001 in Rayleigh-Durham North Carolina

   b) Informal discussion in conjunction with the May 2002 Rexx Symposium
      established that there were no items of significance, in interpreting the
      standard, that would justify holding a formal meeting.

      The maintenance committee remains in email contact.

   c) Officers:

      Chairman:
           B L Marks              (Last training Oct 95)
           Formcroft Ltd
           354 Hursley Road
           Chandlers Ford
           Hampshire, England SO53 5PL
           44-2380-253709
           formcroft@compuserve.com

      Vice-chairman:
           Pam Taylor             (Last training Oct 95)
           SHARE c/o
           Sterling Commerce
           5215 N. O'Connor Blvd Suite 1500
           Irving Texas 75039

   d. Membership is the same as last year (see attached), although in the absence of fees and
      meetings there is no check that establishes their continued enthusiasm.

   e. There are no liaison activities.

   IV.

   J18 proposes to continue maintaining the standard, and to provide
   a focal point for any interest there may be in reviving plans for
   a second standard.

   A distribution list covering more than the committee members is used to
   canvass opinions.

   A section of a web site www.rexxla.org provides background information
   on the standard.

   Note that the existing standard reflects the Rexx language as it was
   practiced at the time.  The language has continued to develop but we do not
   regard the current language as suitable for standardization because that
   extended language is strongly supported by one provider and there are few
   potential alternative providers.  Thus it is likely that Rexx standardization
   activity will continue to decline in the future.