HLASM Language Reference

The following statement assigns the character value HALF&& to the SETC
symbol &AND.
&AND SETC 'HALF&&'
This is the only instance when the assembler does not pair ampersands to
produce a single ampersand. However, if you substitute a SETC symbol with
such a value into the nominal value in a DC instruction operand, or the operand
of an MNOTE instruction, when the assembler processes the DC or MNOTE
instruction, it pairs the ampersands and produces a single ampersand.
3. To generate a period, two periods must be specified after a variable symbol.
For example, if &ALPHA has been assigned the character value AB%4, the
following statement can be used to assign the character value AB%4.RST to the
variable symbol &GAMMA.
&GAMMA SETC '&ALPHA..RST'
4. To generate a period, the variable symbol may have a period as part of its
value. For example:
&DOT SETC '.'
&DELTA SETC 'A&DOT.&DOT' &DELTA has value 'A..'
5. Double-byte data can appear in the character string if the assembler is invoked
with the DBCS option. The double-byte data must be bracketed by the SO and
SI delimiters, and the double-byte data must be valid.
6. The DBCS ampersand and apostrophe are not recognized as delimiters.
7. A double-byte character that contains the value of an EBCDIC ampersand or
apostrophe in either byte is not recognized as a delimiter when enclosed by SO
and SI.
8. Duplication (replication) factors are permitted before character built-in functions.
| 9. Releases of HLASM prior to Version 1 Release 4 permitted predefined absolute
| symbols in character expressions. To remove inconsistencies when handling
| character and arithmetic expressions such usage is no longer permitted and
| results in message ASMA137S if attempted. The built-in function BYTE can be
| used to convert a numeric value in a character expression as shown.
| RPTDS EQU X'1'
| &RPTC1 SETC 'SEND '.(BYTE RPTDS)
Concatenation of Character String Values: Character expressions can be
concatenated to each other or to substring notations in any order. The resulting
value is a character string composed of the concatenated parts. This concatenated
string can then be used in the operand field of a SETC instruction, or as a value for
comparison in a logical expression.
You need the concatenation character (a period) to separate the single quotation
mark that ends one character expression from the single quotation mark that begins
the next.
For example, either of the following statements may be used to assign the
character value ABCDEF to the SETC symbol &BETA.
&BETA SETC 'ABCDEF'
&BETA SETC 'ABC'.'DEF'
Chapter 9. How to Write Conditional Assembly Instructions 383