ARexx.Dev Guide

About

What is the ARexx.Dev Guide?

ARexx is the Amiga’s native dialect of REXX – sleek, sharp and born to automate. And the ARexx.Dev Guide is a system-compliant development guide for modular ARexx programming on AmigaOS 3.x. It defines standardized conventions and architectural principles that reflect how the system would solve problems — not how random scripts tend to grow in the wild. This development guide is built for modular scripting on AmigaOS 3.x and compatible systems, using the principles of IBM's REXX language.

ARexx.Dev is not a rewrite – it’s a rethinking. Our goal is not to replace the system, but to refine its native strengths with clarity, modularity, and consistent syntax. We believe that good code speaks the system's language, not the programmer's convenience.

What's Inside?

Chapter 0: Language foundations (TRL-1, TRL-2, TRL-3 – the historic REXX Language Levels defined by IBM)
Chapters 1–13: Port communication, RC codes, templates, module loading, logging, and testing
Examples with system flair – short, clear, commented

System Fit & Philosophy

The guide builds on the foundational principles defined in the original REXX language specifications – TRL-1, TRL-2, and TRL-3 – the official Technical Reference Levels once published by IBM.

Not to be confused with "TRL-2/TRL-3" as used in unrelated contexts such as Technology Readiness Levels (NASA, EU, etc.)

And he's built around one core idea: "How would the system itself solve this?" That means modular design, clear interfaces, meaningful return codes, and avoiding wild-grown complexity.

It’s not just REXX – it’s system-native ARexx.

TRL Highlights

TRL-1 : Classic ARexx – no structure, pure freedom.
TRL-2 : Structured ARexx – ports, templates, RCs, IPC patterns.
TRL-3 : Declarative design – message routing, service modularity, system-level logic.

The guide is informed by the evolution of REXX: TRL-1 (1984), TRL-2 (1990), and TRL-3 (draft).

Notice (as of July 2025): The official references to the Rexx Language Specifications TRL-2 and TRL-3 are currently not publicly available online.

💬 Ask the Boingo Dschinn

Meet Boingo GPT – your m68k‑powered coding Dschinn and co‑architect for AmigaOS 3.x. He knows the ARexx.Dev Guide inside out and can help you with ARexx scripting, modular design and Amiga‑native coding standards.

🚀 Start Boingo GPT

Download

The ARexx.Dev Guide is available in ODT and plain text format. It is designed for use on classic AmigaOS systems with RexxMast enabled, ensuring full compatibility.

Everything you need:

Reliable. Modular. Amiga-native.