In this section, we will write our first REXX program: the classic "Hello, World!" example. This simple program will help you understand the basic structure and syntax of REXX.

1. Open a Text Editor:

   • You can use any text editor of your choice (e.g., Notepad, Notepad++, VS Code).

2. Write the Code:

   • Type the following code into your text editor:

3. Save the File:

   • Save the file with a .rexx or .rex extension, for example, hello.rexx.

4. Run the Program:

   • Open your command line interface (CLI) or terminal.
   • Navigate to the directory where you saved your hello.rexx file.
   • Execute the program by typing the following command:

• Comment:

  /* Hello World Program in REXX */
  

  • Comments in REXX are enclosed within /* and */. They are ignored by the interpreter and are used to provide explanations or notes within the code.

• Output Statement:

  say "Hello, World!"
  

  • The say instruction is used to display text or variables to the standard output (usually the screen). In this case, it prints the string "Hello, World!".

Write a REXX program that prints "Welcome to REXX Programming!" to the screen.

1. Open a Text Editor:

   • Use any text editor of your choice.

2. Write the Code:

   • Type the following code:

3. Save the File:

   • Save the file with a .rexx or .rex extension, for example, welcome.rexx.

4. Run the Program:

   • Open your CLI or terminal.
   • Navigate to the directory where you saved your welcome.rexx file.
   • Execute the program by typing the following command:

• File Extension:

  • Ensure the file is saved with the correct extension (.rexx or .rex).

• Syntax Errors:

  • Make sure there are no typos in the say statement or the string to be printed.

• Running the Program:

  • Ensure you are in the correct directory in the CLI or terminal before running the program.

In this section, you learned how to write and execute a simple "Hello, World!" program in REXX. You also practiced writing a similar program to print a different message. This foundational knowledge will help you as you progress through more complex REXX programming concepts.