The assembler also maintains a length counter for each individually relocatable component of the program: executable and reference control sections, elements, and parts.

      ASMA039S Location counter error

The length of a section, element, or part cannot exceed the maximum allowed length described above. If the length counter reaches this maximum value, it stays fixed at that value without an error condition or error message. Exceeding the length counter causes overflow of the location counter, producing the ASMA039S message.

The location counter setting is relative to the beginning of the location it represents, and the length counter represents the cumulative length of the control section. This means that the length counter is nearly always greater than the location counter, and can exceed its maximum value before the location counter. Even if the location counter overflows, the length counter value might be correct, and reassembling with the NOTHREAD option might avoid the location counter overflow condition.