Rexx is best known for combining power with ease of use. These attributes normally conflict. Rexx brings them together through a variety of techniques including simple syntax, easy extensibility, a small instruction set complemented by a large set of built-in functions, a language design driven by typical human assumptions about language behaviors, and a modular structure.

The benefits of an easy language like Rexx are obvious for the beginner. But what about power developers? This is where "easy" languages really shine. Power developers can code Rexx like water. Development is fast and the resulting code is highly reliable. Simplicity is one route to power. This language philosophy is very different than that underlying the syntax-driven power languages that evolved from the Unix tradition, such as Korn or Perl. This article explains how linguistic simplicity leads to programming power.

Of course, VBScript offers everything I've mentioned thus far, and more. Rexx differs in its standardization and openess. Rexx conforms to a platform-independent ANSI standard that is owned by no company (and also to an earlier independent language standard called TRL-2). Rexx is implemented as a free or open source language for almost any operating system. It runs everywhere from handhelds to mainframes, and on everything in between. Standard code is portable across platforms. Your skills are transferable across them, too. No vendor owns the Rexx standard or the language.

Please understand that the language comparisons I offer here are not intended, in any way, to slight any language. Every language has its advantages (which is one reason there are so many of them), and some languages I've mentioned here are more popular than Rexx. What language works best for you depends on your unique needs and evaluation criteria. The goal here is merely to highlight reasons some developers find Rexx useful.

Those who like Rexx tend to favor a language that they: