Search strings in the input file

There are two process options to search for strings in the input file:

SRCHFOR: Search a text string in the input file
SRCHFORC: Search a text string continuation

These statements search for a specified string in the input Search file. The string may be further qualified as a word, prefix, or suffix, and where it must be positioned on the line.

SRCHFORC is the continuation of the immediately preceding SRCHFOR or SRCHFORC process statement. In the case of a SRCHFOR/SRCHFORC group, all the specified strings must occur on the same line for the search to be successful.

Compare Type: Search


>>-SRCHFOR--'--string--'--+------+------------------------------>
                          +-,--W-+   
                          +-,--P-+   
                          '-,--S-'   

>--+-------------------------------------------+---------------><
   '-,--start_column--+----------------------+-'   
                      '-:--last_start_column-'


>>-SRCHFORC--'--string--'--+------+----------------------------->
                           +-,--W-+   
                           +-,--P-+   
                           '-,--S-'   

>--+----------------------------------------------+------------><
   +-,--start_column--+----------------------+----+   
   |                  '-:--last_start_column-'    |   
   +-,--+--start_column--+----------------------+-+   
   |                     '-:--last_start_column-' |   
   '-,--+ ----------------------------------------'

string: The character or hexadecimal string to be searched for (enclosed by apostrophes). Use two consecutive apostrophes ('') for one apostrophe within the search string.
W: Word. String must appear as a separate word. That is, be delimited by one or more spaces or special characters.
P: Prefix. String must appear as the first part of some other text.
S: Suffix. String must appear as the last part of some other text.
start_column: The column in which the string must start for the search to be successful. (If a last_start_column is also specified, see description for that operand.)
last_start_column: The "latest" column in which the string can start for the search to be successful. (Must be separated from the start_column by a colon.)
+start_column: The relative column (starting from the column where the string for the previous SRCHFOR/SRCHFORC was found) in which the string must start for the search to be successful. (A corresponding last_start_column operand can be specified in a similar way to that for the start_column.)
+: The string specified can occur anywhere after the position of the previously found string for the search to be successful.

Example: Description
SRCHFOR 'ABC': Searches for string "ABC"
SRCHFOR 'ABC',W: Searches for the word "ABC"
SRCHFOR X'4004': Searches for the hexadecimal string X'4004'
SRCHFOR 'A''bc': Searches for string "A'bc"
SRCHFOR 'ABC',5:10: Searches for string "ABC" starting in positions 5 to 10
SRCHFOR 'ABC',W,5: Searches for the word "ABC" starting in position 5
SRCHFOR 'ABC'SRCHFORC 'DEF': Searches for strings "ABC" and "DEF" in any order in the same line.

SRCHFOR 'ABC'SRCHFORC 'DEF',+: Searches for the string "DEF" following the string "ABC"
SRCHFOR 'ABC'SRCHFORC 'DEF',W,+: Searches for the word "DEF" following the string "ABC"
SRCHFOR 'ABC'SRCHFORC 'DEF',+5: Searches for the string "DEF" in the 5th position after the string "ABC"
SRCHFOR 'ABC' SRCHFORC 'DEF',+5 SRCHFORC 'GKL': Searches for the string "DEF" in the 5th position after the string "ABC" with the string "GKL" also anywhere in the same line