Test reports

4. Software test: 'Rexecute' - the Arexx compiler (by Axel Teichmann)

Order & delivery:

The order period for the ARexx compiler praised in an Amiga magazine was about four weeks and three days all together, before an approx. 30x30 centimeters (approx. 11.82x11.82 inch) large parces was delivered. After opening the parcel there came the disappointment, that this parcel contained only a Jewel case in addition to all the parcel trash, according to the principle: How can I justify the high transport costs?

Package & design

The Jewel case itself has on the upper side and the lower side a nice print and some writings, that praise the "product".

You're still happy about a nice CD, but if you open the Jewel case, you have enough of it, because there is only a DD-disk in it. There isn't any paper manual or description regarding the product. Just a sticker of Horizon Software with the number 1998 is on the disk.

The complete manual is an English Guide file on the disk.

No file date is younger than 06/13/96, what shows how old the sold software is. The compiler itself has the filedate 10/13/95.

Installation:

The installation is done using the Commodore Installer, of course completely in the English language. You could also copy everthing manually to disk, the result is the same.

Practical test:

After starting the "compiler" a PAL-HiRes picture with an advertisment of Horizon Software is shown, this is VERY useful for owners of a graphics board! 8-) Else you just get a tiny window with the nice Topaz font, which is the complete control centre for Rexecute.

There you can adjust, if you want to create an executable, a link object, a library object or a script. Executable means, that you can call the program via WB or CLI, without using RX etc.

The source code of the ARexx script keeps completely readable in the program, of course and the executables still need ARexx in the background. Library object means an object, which you can call as a function in ARexx (using the CALL command). But in the end its still an ARexx script.

An linkable object can be created via Rexecute, which can be linked into the own code a C-programmer created. The source code is completely kept and readable in this function, too.

The last function is to create a script, which offers the possibility to remove any comments or similar things or to insert control and trace sequences.

Rexecute compiles quite slowly, compared with freeware programs and crashes sometimes without purpose. I haven't seen a bad program like this for a long time, especially when I remember that the test report in the " Amiga magazine" mentioned things like "independent from Rexxmast" and "completely new product". You should NOT trust test reports like that! Maybe this magazine didn't even have a test object.

Positive:

Allows compiling and reducing ARexx scripts in size, supports using of own libraries ARexx like.

Negative:

Is unable to create real executables, needs still ARexx in the background. Crashes sometimes, a PAL-advertisment picture of Horizon Software shows up on the start. Software is ancient, but is sold as new.

Conclusion:

Who thinks about buying this program should invest the money into good software or send it directly to me instad of buying this software of 1995/96 for far too much money.

In addition there are lots of Rexx mashers in the Aminet, which can do the same and run much more stable than this cheat package.

"Execrexx" and "Compressrexx" are mentioned as search words. They offer more stability and functions and a better price-performance-ratio.

Axel Teichmann <A.Teichmann@gmx.net>«