Parameter Variables

A parameter variable is a positional variable that is defined at the time a command list is run. Specify parameter variables by entering them as operands following the name of the command list that you are running. Parameter variables have the following characteristics:

• Identified within the command list by a numbered position, for example, &1
• Entered following the command list name at run time
• Delimited by commas, apostrophes, or blanks

When you code your command list with parameter variables, use the following guidelines:

• You can use up to 31 parameter variables in a single command list.
• You can use the same parameter variables more than once in a command list.
• The value of a parameter variable can be 238 characters long.
• Parameter variables can contain either numeric or character values.
• When used in an arithmetic expression (for example, addition or subtraction), a parameter variable can have a numeric value between -2147483647 and 2147483647. When used in a non-arithmetic expression (for example, assignment statements, &IF statements, &CONCAT, or &SUBSTR statements), a parameter variable can have a value up to 238 digits long, including the sign.