Code VTAM® and NCP
definition statements and VTAM macroinstructions
—including the name, definition statement or macroinstruction,
and operand fields— in columns 1–71 of a line.
Note: The name field together with the definition statement
field or macroinstruction field must fit in columns 1–70.
You can continue a definition statement or macroinstruction
that exceeds 71 columns on one or more additional lines. When you
need to continue on another line, the following rules apply:
- Code the definition statement or macroinstruction in
one of the following ways:
- Up through column 71
- Through any completed operand, stopping after the comma that separates
the operand from those that follow
- If the definition statement field or the macroinstruction field
ends in column 70, leave a blank in column 71.
- Enter a nonblank continuation character in column 72. The continuation character is not considered
part of the definition statement.
- Begin coding or continue coding operands in column 16 of the next
line. Columns 1–15 must be blank. A continuation line that
begins in column 17 or beyond is ignored, with one exception: a quoted
string that needs to be continued on the next line can have a blank
in column 16 of the next line if a blank in the string coincides with
that column.
A comment line cannot follow a continuation line.
- If you must continue on another line, proceed with rule 1.
- Definition statements and macroinstructions can be coded on as
many lines as needed.
- Comments can appear on every line of a continued definition statement
or macroinstruction.
- Columns 73–80 can be used to code identification characters,
definition statement sequence characters, or both.