Announcing PCRE Port for Classic z/OS 8.35 (Build 1499)
PCRE Port for Classic z/OS (Perl Compatible Regular Expressions) is now on a regular maintenance schedule, lagging only few months behind the main PCRE package version. The port is working with well defined scripts with minimal manual intervention. The port is available on my site
http://zaconsultants.net/ and hopefully soon on
http://www.cbttape.org/.
The core documentation for PCRE is found as usual in
http://www.pcre.org/pcre.txt .
The Port documentation is part of the download file here
www.zaconsultants.net/pcre_native_zOS_port.8.35.1499.zip
The port includes the source code, JCL, LKED parameters, etc. and instructions on how to build it on any run-of-the-mill z/OS environment as well as XMIT formatted libraries (PDS and PDSE) that include the above, plus executables on a load module library that was compiled with codepage IBM-1047.
The port is for classic z/OS. I know it would compile and work on z/VM, but the z/VM official support has been dropped.
1. While a few people have expressed interest in the PL/I interface and some tried to give me useful advice, I've found that with my limited time and resources, I cannot do it. Hence, PL/I support is officially dropped and will not be renewed unless there would be a volunteer who is both capable in working with PL/I and its interfaces, and is ready to devote time for this project.
2. Rexx seemed to me to be a perfect fit for PCRE. It is analogous to Perl in the native z/OS ecosystem and is doing similar (though much more primitive) pattern matching. However, the Rexx interface is extremely involved and working with it requires expertise that I do not posses and do not have the time to acquire, and that despite of useful advice from some people. Hence, no Rexx support is planned unless there would be a volunteer who is both capable in working with Rexx and its interfaces, and is ready to devote time for this project.
Ze'ev Atlas
