Or accept a trailing colon and allow continuation, in honor of PL/I syntax.
-- Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3 עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי נֵ֣צַח יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א יְשַׁקֵּ֖ר ________________________________________ From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> on behalf of Richard Zierdt <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2026 3:35 PM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Assembler: Long Field name / opcode support nit External Message: Use Caution It's not so much "neatness counts" as it is "neatness allows faster understanding of code". I prefer that DCs, DSs, CCW, opcodes, whatever start in column 10. When searching for such entities, how they're used, frequency, etc, it's easier to grasp if they all start in the same column. Consider field names longer than eight characters: Long_Field_Name_Defined_On_Next_Line + <-- column 72 DC CL8'APPLES' returns ASMA142E Operation code not complete on first record Long_Field_Name_Defined_On_Next_Line DC + <-- column 72 CL8'APPLES' works. Yes, the assembler is "working as written," but why was it written that the opcode had to be included on the first line? Rhetorical question. The assembler is a complex program developed over decades. But check the continuation character. If present, keep looking. What's the difficulty? Yes, choosing another column like 40 for all opcodes would work, but it'd be ugly. Venting Richard Zierdt Confidentiality Warning/Avertissement de confidentialité: This message is intended only for the named recipients. This message may contain information that is privileged or confidential. If you are not the named recipient, its employee or its agent, please notify us immediately and permanently destroy this message and any copies you may have. Ce message est destiné uniquement aux destinataires dûment nommés. Il peut contenir de l'information privilégiée ou confidentielle. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire dûment nommé, son employé ou son mandataire, veuillez nous aviser sans tarder et supprimer ce message ainsi que toute copie qui peut en avoir été faite. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
