PH30710: ASMA092E IF SUBSTRING LENGTH SPECIFIED AS ASTERISK IS ZERO

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• A substring expression of the form '&STRING'(n,*) indicating the
  rest of the string causes message ASMA092E if the resulting
  length evaluates to zero, even though the equivalent expression
  '&STRING'(n,m) is accepted when m is zero.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: Users of HLASM for z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE and     *
  *                 Linux                                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: ASMA092E is issued when substring       *
  *                      length specified as asterisk is zero    *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  A substring expression of the form '&STRING'(n,*) represents a
  substring going to the end of the string. The substring length
  is calculated by adding 1 to the length of the string and then
  subtracting n. However, if the calculated length is exactly zero
  (because n is one more than the length of the string) then this
  causes error message ASMA092E. This is unhelpful, especially as
  specifying a length of zero in place of an asterisk in this case
  is accepted without error.  This restricts the usefulness of the
  asterisk notation, as it may require special-case code to handle
  scanning a string in the case where the string position has
  already reached the end.
  

Problem conclusion

• If a substring length specified as an asterisk evaluates to
  zero, this will now simply result in a null string without
  causing an error message.
  
  DOCUMENTATION UPDATES:
  
  In the HLASM Language Reference, SC26-4941-08, the topic
  "Evaluation of substrings" within the "SETC instruction"
  documentation is modified as follows.
  
  The following text:
  
    When the value of e1 exceeds n, the assembler generates a null
    string and issues message ASMA092E.
  
  is changed to:
  
    When the value of e1 exceeds n, and the value of e2 is not
    equal to zero, the assembler generates a null string and
    issues message ASMA092E.
  
  and the second example immediately following is changed from:
  
    'ABCDE'(6,*)
  
  to
  
    'ABCDE'(7,*)
  
  END OF DOCUMENTATION UPDATES
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

  UI72199 UI72200 UI72201

Modules/Macros

•    ASMAINFO ASMA1T   ASMA9Z
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  HLASM MVS, VM &

• Fixed component ID

  569623400

Applicable component levels

• R160 PSY UI72200

     UP20/10/23 P F010

• R360 PSY UI72199

     UP20/10/22 P 2010

• R689 PSY UI72201

     UP20/10/22 I 1000

Fix is available

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