Syntax Rules

The following general rules apply to utility command syntax.

Blank lines can appear anywhere within the SYSIN data.
Only one command or keyword is allowed per line.
No continuation to the next line is allowed for command lines, keyword lines, and comment lines.
The system does not recognize command syntax entered in columns 73 through 80, except for JCL records within the JCL_DELIMITER area/keyword.
Data can start in any column. The exceptions to this rule are the data delimiters specified by the TPSCHED_DELIMITER keyword and the JCL_DELIMITER keyword. The specified delimiter must start in the first column.
Lowercase characters are accepted as equivalent to uppercase when used in command names, keywords, and most keyword values. An exception to this is that lowercase and uppercase characters are distinguished in the TPNAME, the TPSCHED_DELIMITER, and the JCL_DELIMITER keyword values.
Syntax errors are written as messages to SYSPRINT. After the first error message, checking of syntax continues until all input is checked.

For Comments

Comment lines are preceded by /*
Comments are not allowed on the same line as keywords or utility commands. A comment must appear on its own line.
Comment lines and blank lines may appear on any line of the SYSIN data, but the comment delimiter /* must not begin in column 1.

The first line (not including blank or comment lines) of utility input must name the utility command.
Multiple commands are allowed within a single SYSIN data stream.
A utility command must be followed by all of the keyword lines that are required for the command before the next command is specified or before the end of input.

If a keyword value is not valid, or a keyword is missing, the keyword line is not valid, and the entire command is not valid.
Only keywords required or optional for a given command can be specified.
A keyword cannot be repeated in the context of a single command. (Exception: The TPNAME keyword does appear twice for the TPALIAS command.)
Do not code extraneous data (any data that follows the last right parenthesis) on a keyword line. Extraneous data is ignored but causes a warning message.
Zero or more blanks are allowed between the keyword and the left parenthesis in a keyword line.
Keywords may appear in any order following a command. There are two exceptions to this rule:
- When the TPALIAS command is specified, all keywords for the alias TP profile key must appear before any keywords for the existing TP profile key.
- When a transaction scheduler section is present, all of its associated keywords followed by its corresponding data delimiter must appear separately from any keywords associated with the TP profile key or attributes section. That is, keywords from the TP profile key or attributes section cannot appear within the transaction scheduler section, and vice versa.