Introduction › Use Batch Control Statements › Use Single Quotes

Use Single Quotes

Single quotes are most often used in REPORT statements. The text and variables to be printed in a report must be enclosed within single quotes in a report statement. The other control statements only require single quotes when you are specifying a value that has spaces within it. For example:

UPDATE USER (USER1(VUSRLOC('PGH BLDG FLOOR-7')))

Batch resolves text enclosed within single quotes literally. The only exception is if a string of characters is preceded by an ampersand (&), in which case it is considered a variable name and replaced by the value of that variable.

To include a single quote within text enclosed by single quotes, type two single quotes with no space between them (''). Ampersands without text immediately following them are resolved as ampersands, but to include an ampersand with text following it, type two ampersands with no space between them (&&text).

Any text not enclosed within single quotes is automatically converted to uppercase. Text enclosed in single quotes (such as report labels) is not converted to uppercase. So, if you define a report label with uppercase and lowercase characters, the label will be printed in uppercase and lowercase.

A string within single quotes cannot be longer than one line of the REPORT statement.

For example, the following REPORT statement prints the menu key, jump key, and print key for each user record in the extract file named KEYREPT. The report labels "Menu Key," "Jump Key," and "Print Key" are printed on the report in uppercase and lowercase characters. Note that the user is adding spaces within the single quotes to indent these labels. An ampersand (&) is added in front of UIDXNAME, UIDXMKEY, UIDXJKEY, and UIDXPKEY to tell CA TPX that they are variables.

REPORT GIVING(KEYREPT) USING(KEYUSERS)
       ((' &UIDXNAME')
        (' Menu Key  - ' '&UIDXMKEY')
        (' Jump Key  - ' '&UIDXJKEY')
        (' Print Key - ' '&UIDXPKEY'))

Note: Hexadecimal quoted strings can appear in REPORT statements with the same constraints as other quoted strings.