EXEC 2

EXEC 2 is a special kind of computer language called a scripting language. It was made to help people give commands and control tasks more easily on certain computers. This language was used with a part of IBM's Virtual Machine/System Product, known as CMS.

The EXEC 2 Processor was the tool that understood and followed the commands written in EXEC 2. It was designed to make work on these computers simpler and more organized by letting users write scripts instead of typing each command one by one.

Many people who used IBM's VM operating system found EXEC 2 helpful for automating repeated tasks and managing complex jobs on their computers. It is a good example of how computer languages can make technology easier to use.

Relation to EXEC

EXEC 2 works very similarly to CMS EXEC, but there are a few important differences. Every EXEC 2 script must start with an &TRACE statement. Some commands and special values that work in CMS EXEC do not work in EXEC 2, though there are sometimes similar options.

EXEC 2 includes several useful features that CMS EXEC does not, such as longer commands, extra built-in tools, and the ability to create your own functions. It also allows programs to work with EXEC 2 values. However, some specific commands and values from CMS EXEC, like &BEGSTACK ALL and &$, are not supported in EXEC 2.

XEDIT Macros

XEDIT Macros are special files that use a type called XEDIT. These files are written using a language called CMS EXEC, EXEC 2, or REXX. Just like normal EXEC 2 command files, they start with a "&TRACE" statement. This helps tell them apart from other CMS EXEC files.

History

EXEC 2 was created in the 1970s and first used with CMS as part of the VM/SP Release 1. Before EXEC 2, there was a system called CMS EXEC, and later, REXX came after EXEC 2.

Today, all three of these command systems—CMS EXEC, EXEC 2, and REXX—are still supported by z/VM.