HLASM: V1R6 Language Ref

SET symbolsSET symbolsSET symbols are variable symbols that provide you with arithmetic, binary, orcharacter data, and whose values you can vary during conditional assemblyprocessing.Use SET symbols as:v Terms in conditional assembly expressionsv Counters, switches, and character stringsv Subscripts for variable symbolsv Values for substitutionThus, SET symbols let you control your conditional assembly logic, and to generatemany different statements from the same model statement.Subscripted SET symbolsYou can use a SET symbol to represent a one-dimensional array of many values.You can then refer to any one of the values of this array by subscripting the SETsymbol. For more information, see “Subscripted SET symbol specification” on page319.Scope of SET symbolsThe scope of a SET symbol is that part of a program for which the SET symbol hasbeen declared. Local SET symbols need not be declared by explicit declarations.The assembler considers any undeclared variable symbol found in the name fieldof a SETx instruction as a local SET symbol.If you declare a SET symbol to have a local scope, you can use it only in thestatements that are part of either:v The same macro definition, orv Open codeIf you declare a SET symbol to have a global scope, you can use it in thestatements that are part of any one of:v The same macro definitionv A different macro definitionv Open codeYou must, however, declare the SET symbol as global for each part of the program(a macro definition or open code) in which you use it.You can change the value assigned to a SET symbol without affecting the scope ofthis symbol.Scope of symbolic parametersA symbolic parameter has a local scope. You can use it only in the statements thatare part of the macro definition for which the parameter is declared. You declare asymbolic parameter in the prototype statement of a macro definition.The scope of system variable symbols is described in Table 50 on page 317.316 HLASM: V1R6 Language Ref