CompuServe Thread

It allows any program with an ARexx interface to talk to (and control) any other program with an ARexx interface. I'm using some very powerful sub-programs with CEDPro. CEDPro makes the call to my ARexx program which then, via the ARexx port, takes control of CEDPro and performs various functions that are more sophisticated than CEDPro's own macros would allow.

It allows one to make the product much more powerful as one gains more technical expertise. I find it very frustrating not to have abilities like keyboard (re)designation – I like to customize a product so that I don't have to learn umpteen different interfaces, especially for actions I often take. For instance, I'm used to using a certain numeric keypad key sequence (gold + another key) to first do a search, and just that key to do a repeat search. Some people here on the forums do much more sophisticated work. What's even better is that people upload their rexx procedures, so others don't have to be highly technical to use rexx. So, yes, it will be a benefit.

Steve – though it may require a bit of work by the user, if you provide AREXX capability it will allow your Word Processer to work as if it is a part of an integrated package – as if it were a "Word Processing" module. It may require more cleverness and experience from the programmers to figure out how to make this easy for users, but it's definitely the way of the future, I think – even for users who don't know what a CLI is. …cheath

It really depends on the implementation of the ARexx interface itself. A good implementation will allow an ARexx script (or another program that can send the same sort of messages), to do pretty nearly anything that can be done from the keyboard or mouse. While many (possibly most) purchasers wil never write an original ARexx script to make use of your interface, there are many who will, and will provide thse to others on a PD basis. Once a user sees the power of the combination, and has a working script that does something useful, he is likely to start modifying it to better suit himself. I use CEDPro for all my text editing work, and have written several very useful ARexx scripts for it. As an example, I have written one called 'delfile' that lets me delete a file that I have in a CEDPro window. It's a simple little thing, but the saving in keystrokes over the same function done from a CLI is enormous (CD to the directory, TYPE the file, decide if I want to delete, DELETE file). Others I have written make life very easy when reading Usenet postings; 'keep' a message, delete a message, answer a posting, etc. Some folks use a combination of TxEd and AmigaTeX as a TeX processor, editing the file in TxEd, and simply using a function key or menu selection to save the file and call the TeX previewer to see what it looks like. Quitting from AmigaTeX brings back TxEd for any changes needed. I don't thinkit takes too much imagination to be able to visualize ways in which a word processor could work a lot of magic when tied in closely to DTP packages, databases, mailmerge programs, and so on. In addition, you must always bear in mind that no matter how many features you provide in a program, no matter how many other programs you allow it to interact with, there will always be applications that you never dreamed would be of use to someone. With an Arexx interface, you let the use decide what application he wants to build using your program as one module.

The AREXX scripts are already being posted as PD things. There is a library for AREXX over in AmigaTech. Up to now, most of the scripts are working between editors and other programs, but as more of the programmers use AREXX, and as the commercial software adds these ports, the scripts will become available. Unsophisticated users will be able to get them through the regular PD channels. ALo, they'd make nice little additi9s to put in your package.

I'm sure B-W has gone to great lengths to "position" this word processor. I certainly hope Steve isn't swayed. It makes little sense to me to worry about ARexx in a product that won't be used by people who want a "hotdog" editor. Is anyone out there using ProWrite for writing C programs? Does Steve intend his program to go head to head with Cygnus Ed? I own ARexx. I use it. I use Cygnus Ed, too. Am I crazy to think that it is not necessary to add ARexx ports to every application?

Well, we could always ask Hawes if he knows that the "typical" user bought ARexx. If ARexx was popular among programmers, and programmers are frequent visitors to dealers, then sales might look good at your local dealer. At face value, I think it's fair to say that ARexx programming, or any programming in general, is beyond the typical user's ken. I still maintain that a lot of users rarely make it back to their local dealer – and that the ones that do, are the techies who know about things like the release of 1.3. I don't remember an update being mailed out about 1.3.