variable_name

A contiguous text string that represents a changeable value. You can create a variable_name that can be used in several different programming languages. The variable_name must comply with the following syntax rules:

• all uppercase
• starts with one of the characters A through Z
• characters A through Z
• decimal 0 through 9
• no spaces

z/OS® Debugger also supports the creation of a variable_name that is written to programming language-specific syntax rules. However, if you create a variable_name that is written to a specific programming language syntax, you cannot use that variable_name in programs written in a different programming language. For example, in COBOL a variable name can contain the dash character (-). If you create a variable_name that contains a dash, you cannot use that variable_name in a PL/I or C/C++ program.