The Vienna Version of BSF4Rexx, 2006-07-20
==========================================
BSF4Rexx, version 2.6 ("The Vienna Version of BSF4Rexx"):
Please see also the text file "changesBSF4Rexx.txt" which contains important information about
changes (especially to the ooRexx wrapper 'BSF.CLS').
This version also supports OpenOffice.org (StarOffice) such that you can script OpenOffice.org
from the commandline or from within OpenOffice.org (in lieu of OOo Basic, if you wish). More
information can be gathered from the file "readmeOOo.txt"
Support
=======
Post on the Internet newsgroup <news:comp.lang.rexx>.
Alternatively, enroll as a member to the non-profit organization "Rexx
Language Asssociation" (<http://www.RexxLA.org>) and use the members only
listserver list there.
OpenOffice-only related questions (other than the Rexx support itself) should
be posted on the respective listserver lists at <http://www.OpenOffice.org>
(e.g. "dev", "udk", "framework").
Brief overview
==============
BSF4Rexx is an extension to Rexx and ooRexx, consisting of an external Rexx function
package ("BSF4Rexx.dll") and a set of Java classes stored in a Java archive.
BSF allows Java programs to call (invoke) script programs written in languages
other than Java. Such script programs may also be able to call back into Java and
use all of Java's classes and objects. (cf. <http://jakarta.apache.org/bsf>)
- With "BSF4RExx" any Java application can use (Object) Rexx as a scripting language.
- Open Object Rexx (ooRexx) can use Java as a huge, operating system independent
function library. (The Object Rexx support enabled with "BSF.CLS" makes Java
look like a huge Object Rexx class library!)
Preliminary versions of "The Vienna Version of BSF4Rexx" package were partly introduced
in April 2005 and April 2006 to the Rexx world at the International Rexx Symposium organized
by the Rexx Language Association (cf. <http://www.RexxLA.org>) where it was used for
enabling ooRexx to automate (remote control) OpenOffice.org in a platform independent manner.
An overview article (dated: 2003-06-01) with short examples can be found at:
<http://wi.wu-wien.ac.at/rgf/rexx/orx14/orx14_bsf4rexx-av.pdf>
(and for the forerunner at:
<http://wi.wu-wien.ac.at/rgf/rexx/orx12/JavaBeanScriptingWithRexx_orx12.pdf>).
Another (newer) document on BSF4Rexx can be found at:
<http://wi.wu-wien.ac.at/rgf/rexx/orx15/2004_orx15_bsf-orx-layer.pdf>
The "Vienna version of BSF4Rexx" adds additional functionality, the most notable
addition allows ooRexx programs to address Java fields as if they were Object
Rexx attributes, as well as supplying the functions box() and unbox() to wrap
and unwrap primitive datatypes into/from their corresponding Java class (e.g.
needed for setting property values in OpenOffice.org - OOo).
All Rexx programs using BSF4Rexx are per se fully portable, ie. to any system
which possesses Java and a Rexx interpreter, provided that the JNI DLL/shared
library is ported to that platform (the source file to be ported/compiled is
"BSF4Rexx.cc"). Out of the box the following operating systems are supported:
Linux (Intel) and Windows.
Files and Archives
==================
readmeBSF4Rexx.txt ... this text file, explaining BSF4Rexx and its installation
readmeOOo.txt ... text file, explaining the OpenOffice.org/Staroffice support
and its installation
changesBSF4Rexx.txt ... text file containing a record of the most important changes
changesOOo.txt ... text file containing a record of the most important changes
since the 2005 International Rexx symposium
ApacheLicense2.0.txt ... Apache license 2.0 text
BSF4Rexx_install.zip ... Archive that contains the binary distribution of, the sources of
and the samples for BSF4Rexx (including OpenOffice.org samples),
the setup scripts for Linux and Windows
BSF4Rexx_sources.zip ... Archive that contains the C++ and Java sources
docs_bsf4rexx.zip ... Archive that contains the documentation of the BSF4Rexx
Java programs, including add-ons
docs_apache_bsf.zip ... Archive that contains the documentation of Apache's BSF
Installation
============
0) Install Java, if not yet installed
-------------------------------------
Open a command window and enter:
java -version
If "java" is not found or not executing Java (but a stub program as is sometimes the case
on Linux) or the Java version is smaller than 1.4, then get a new Java from the Internet
for your operating system and install it on your machine. One free possibility is to download
Java from Sun, the "father" of Java:
http://java.sun.com
It is sufficient to download the runtime version (JRE - Java runtime environment), but
you can download the Java developer version (JDK - Java development kit) as well.
To get free access at the full documentation of all Java classes, you may want to point
your browser to:
http://java.sun.com/docs/index.html
Remark on Linux:
----------------
On Linux, if you cannot execute "java -version" successfully, then study your Linux
installation directions to make your installed Java available via the command line.
Alternatively, you can run the supplied script (*Linux* only!):
rexx setupJava.rex
from the archive 'BSF4Rexx_install.zip' (see step #2 below), which will try to locate
possible installed versions of Java and will create symbolic links to point to your
Java installation.
As a result you can invoke Java from any process and the command line.
1) Install ooRexx
-----------------
Go and get the opensource and free "Open Object Rexx" (ooRexx) interpreter from:
http://www.ooRexx.org
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=119701
Install ooRexx as per the instructions.
2) Archive 'BSF4Rexx_install.zip'
---------------------------------
IF YOU HAVE ALREADY AN OLDER VERSION OF BSF4REXX INSTALLED, PLEASE UNINSTALL AND REMOVE IT
FROM YOUR SYSTEM BEFORE INSTALLING THIS VERSION!
- Unzip the archive, change into the subdirectory 'bsf4rexx'
- Run the setup script "rexx setupBSF.rex"
- This will create the scripts: "bsf4rexx.cmd", "installBSF4Rexx.cmd",
"uninstallBSF4Rexx.cmd" and "setEnvironment4BSF4Rexx.cmd"; on Linux systems
the extension will be ".sh" instead of ".cmd"
- If the script does not run, because java.exe is not on the path, then
invoke the script and supply explicitly the path:
rexx setupBSF.rex path-to-java.exe
- Run "installBSF4Rexx": this will install the Java extension "BSF4Rexx" on
your machine. You may need to run as user "root" (Linux) or "Adminstrator"
(Windows)
- A few BSF4Rexx-supporting scripts will get copied into the Rexx directory,
including all of the generated scripts. This way you are always able to
uninstall the Java extension "BSF4Rexx"
- Invoke BSF4Rexx-scripts with the dispatcher program "rexxj.cmd" ("rexxj.sh"
on Linux), e.g. "rexxj infoBSF.rex" which will give you information about
the configuration BSF4Rexx uses
3) "rexxj"
----------
The following batch files allow to load/start Rexx programs via Java using
Apache's BSF (dubbed "BSF version 2.3" or higher, needs Java 1.3 or higher):
rexxj.cmd ... Windows
rexxj.sh ... Linux
4) Testing your BSF4Rexx installation
-------------------------------------
a) Issue the following command from the command line (this will load Rexx via Java):
rexxj infoBSF.rex
or
rexxj infoBSF-oo.rex
b) Issue the following command from the command line (this will cause Rexx to load Java):
rexx infoBSF.rex
or
rexx infoBSF-oo.rex
If this does does not work, because Java cannot be find, please execute the script
"setEnvironment4BSF4Rexx.cmd" (Windows) or ". ./setEnvironment4BSF4Rexx.sh" (Linux
with bash shell). Rerun the scripts above.
5) Next steps
-------------
Unzip the archive "BSF4Rexx_samples.zip". Study all the programs in there and run them.
If interested in OpenOffice.org see the directions below, especially the link to
Mr. Ahammer's work which contains numerous little nutshell examples to jump start your
productivity in scripting/automating/remote-controlling that great product in an
openplatform manner (all scripts should run under Windows and Linux).
The same goes for the (as of 2006-05-29) brandnew work of Mr. Burger which contains
numerous little nutshell examples of ooRexx macros for OpenOffice/StarOffice.
Just look up the "readme.txt" files in the "samples\OOo" subdirectory for further
information and links to their work describing each nutshell example in detail.
6) Support, questions and discussion
------------------------------------
Please use the main Rexx newsgroup to post questions, example code etc.:
news:comp.lang.rexx
[Members of the Rexx Language Association (http://www.RexxLA.org) can use
the private RexxLA listserver list.]
Good luck and have fun!
... and please tell us what you are using it for such that others may learn of
interesting problem solving applications with this technology.
Rony G. Flatscher
University of Economics and Business Administration (Wirtschaftsuniversitaet Wien, "WU")
Vienna, 2006-07-20
------------------------------------------------------------
Old news, but some maybe still noteworthy, helpful:
ATTENTION - all NEW BEHAVIOUR!
- starting with version 250.20050602 (2.50 as of 2005-06-02) you can get and set
fields of Java objects as if they were ooRexx attributes; if the case of the
field names is significant you need to use the "strict" BSF4Rexx functions/methods
to get/set fields in Java objects
- by default only the org.apache.bsf (cf <http://jakarta.apache.org/bsf/index.html>)
and ooRexx (cf <http://www.ooRexx.org> are supported; the Makefiles allow for
using com.ibm.bsf and other Rexx interpreters like Regina;
- starting with version 200.20030510 you must not supply any type information
- should you need strict typing, then use invokeStrict, registerBeanStrict instead
(these allow the supplying of - old style - type information, very useful in rare
circumstances)
Some hints ad Java:
-------------------
- In order to use Java as a huge external [oo]Rexx function library you
merely need to have the "Java runtime environment (JRE)" installed on your
machine. Probably it is installed already, due to support Java applets via
your WWW-browser. Otherwise you can download and install Java e.g. from:
<http://java.sun.com>.
- You can download the Java API documentation from Sun's Java site. The
documentation is merely a set of plain HTML documents that are linked with
each other. Alternatively, it is possible to point your WWW browser directly to Sun's
Java WWW pages offering the very same documentation:
<http://java.sun.com/docs/index.html>
... Overview page which allows you to choose which Java version's docs you
want to browse, e.g. as of 2005-06-04 the following "J2SE API Docs" were
accessible:
<http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/docs/api/index.html> ... Java 1.3
<http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/index.html> ... Java 1.4
<http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/index.html> ... Java 1.5 aka Java 5.0
The overview URL also contains plenty of links to tutorials and other
valuable Java info material.
Download Latest Version
BSF4Rexx-apache-bsf-source.jar (405.8 kB)
