HLASM Language Reference

Character Set
Compatibility with Earlier Assemblers: You can specify the
COMPAT(MACROCASE) assembler option to instruct the assembler to maintain
uppercase alphabetic character set compatibility with earlier assemblers for
unquoted macro operands. The assembler converts lowercase alphabetic
characters (a through z) in unquoted macro operands to uppercase alphabetic
characters (A through Z).
Double-Byte Character Set
In addition to the standard EBCDIC set of characters, High Level Assembler
accepts double-byte character set (DBCS) data. The double-byte character set
consists of the following:
Figure 4. Double-Byte Character Set (DBCS)
Double-byte space
X'4040'
Double-byte characters Each double-byte character contains two bytes, each of
which must be in the range X'41' to X'FE'. The first byte
of a double-byte character is known as the ward byte. For
| example, the ward byte for the double-byte representation
of EBCDIC characters is X'42'.
Shift codes
Shift-out (SO) - X'0E'
Shift-in (SI) - X'0F'
Note:
1. SO and SI delimit DBCS data only when the DBCS assembler option is specified. The
DBCS assembler option is described in the HLASM Programmer's Guide.
2. When the DBCS assembler option is specified, double-byte characters may be used
anywhere that EBCDIC characters enclosed by single quotation marks can be used.
3. Regardless of the invocation option, double-byte characters may be used in remarks,
comments, and the statements processed by AREAD and REPRO statements.
Examples showing the use of EBCDIC characters and double-byte characters are
given in Figure 5. For a description of the DBCS notation used in the examples,
see “Double-Byte Character Set Notation” on page xvi.
Figure 5 (Page 1 of 2). Examples Using Character Set
Characters Usage Example Constituting
Alphanumeric In ordinary symbols Label
FIELD#1
Save_Total
| In variable symbols &EASY_TO_READ
Digits
As decimal
self-defining
terms
1
9
Terms
Terms
12 HLASM V1R5 Language Reference