Command Language Syntax Rules

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Command Language Syntax Rules

The following section describes the command language syntax rules.

Any line which starts with an asterisk ("*") in column 1 is a comment line and is ignored.
A statement consists of the statement name followed by one or more parameters. For example:
```
SCAN CATALOG=MY.CATALOG,PREEXIT=MYPREXIT
```
Parameter names can be abbreviated by truncating them to the first three characters, if that makes the parameter unambiguous. If three characters are not enough, then additional characters are required until the abbreviation is unambiguous.
Parameters can be specified in any order. The first parameter must appear on the same line as the statement name.
A statement can span more than one line.
A parameter cannot span more than one line unless the statement is continued using Statement Continuation Method B below.
A blank following a parameter terminates a statement. Characters following the blank are considered comments.
Statement Continuation Method A: If a comma and a space follow a parameter immediately, then the statement is continued onto the next line. Characters following the space are considered comments. The parameters appearing on the next line can start in any column. With this continuation method, each parameter must be completed on a single line.
Statement Continuation Method B: If the statement is coded through column 71, and an 'X' is coded in column 72, then the statement is continued onto the next line. The first nonblank in the next line is appended to the character in column 71 in order to form the continued statement. With this continuation method, the line can be split anywhere. In the example below, the PREEXIT=MYPREXIT parameter is continued onto the next line:
```
	----+----1----+----2----+ ..//.. +----7----+----8
	    SCAN CATALOG=MY.CATAL        DE,PREEX
	       XIT=MYPREXIT
```
The following special characters can be used in data set names, volume names, and catalog names:
- An asterisk ("*") means any characters in a single node.
- A question mark ("?") means any one character.
- A slash ("/") means any suffix of characters.
- An exclamation point ("!") means any characters.