A Comparison of REXX vs. DeskMan/2

DeskMan/2 can generate REXX code to recreate objects.  What are the differences
between object recreation with REXX code or object recreation with DeskMan/2.

What is REXX good for?

- REXX programs can NOT perform any Save operations.
- REXX object manipulation capabilities are limited to:
  o object creation
  o object modification
  o object deletion

REXX programs require that all manipulated WPS objects have a unique OBJECTID
assigned.  Therefore, not only must every folder have an OBJECTID, but every
object must also have an OBJECTID, if the objects are to be deleted or updated.
Without an OBJECTID, objects being created by a REXX script on the WPS desktop
will be duplicated every time the REXX script is run.

To assign OBJECTID's to existing WPS objects, one must use DeskMan/2.  To
assign OBJECTID's to new objects, one may use REXX to specify the OBJECTID as
the REXX script creates the object.

One problem, however, with creating too many OBJECTID's is that when an
OBJECTID is assigned to an object, multiple entries are created in OS2.INI and
OS2SYS.INI files. This will degrade the system performance and may lead to
exhausting the WPS capacity to create new objects.

Assigning unique OBJECTID's to each and every object is NOT recommended by IBM.

The REXX object manipulation API does not interface directly with the WPS. This
leads to problems, especially on systems below 2.1, and causes DUPLICATE
objects being created, even if the FailIfExists or UpdateIfExists creation
options are used.

The REXX programs rely on available object setup strings: there are no setup
strings defined for many functions performed by DeskMan/2.

What's the difference?

DeskMan/2 is a native WPS application. It has access to all the information
about every WPS object.

  o It can perform Save operations. Beyond the collection of all the
information necessary for recreating the saved objects in the form of the setup
strings, it also performs many additional functions, using private DeskMan/2
setup strings.  Those setup strings can be utilized only if the Restore
operation is performed by DeskMan/2 itself, online.  The private setup strings
include information about:

    1. Shadows of Drives located on the Desktop

    2. Private classes registered with WPS and required for the saved objects

    3. Replaced object classes used by saved objects

    4. Real data files associated with the Data File objects located on the
desktop

  o It allows the user to manipulate the WPS objects

  o It performs complex Restore operations.  DeskMan/2's restore
operations are more complex than simple object creation or
modification

  o Each restore operation includes a consistency check which serves
two purposes

    1. It detects any objects which presence is necessary for given
object to be recreated and which are missing on the desktop

    2. It establishes a hierarchical order among the objects being
restored to assure a correct sequence in which they are being
recreated

  o DeskMan/2 checks for the presence of private WPS classes which may be
required for the objects being restored, and automatically registers them with
the WPS if necessary

  o it also handles automatically the class replacement,
    (note: Lotus, WordPerfect and some IBM applications make extensive use of 
           private and replaced WPS classes),

  o DeskMan/2 does not depend on the unreliable approach of using
OBJECTID for every WPS object. It utilizes a unique object title /
class / location scheme which allows it to locate and detect
duplicate objects. It will also locate objects, which may have been
moved or copied to another location.

  o It will properly recreate shadows of disks/drives,

  o It allows SELECTIVE restore operations, without a need to modify
the saved description file or REXX programs,

  o The Drag & Drop interface allows for dynamic location change,

  o It allows drives MAPPING.