Don't bother. IBM will reply NAPWAD (not a problem, working as
designed). ;-)
On 08/09/2020 16:22, Paul Gilmartin wrote:
> (cross-posting to IBM-Main and TSO-REXX)
> On 2020-09-08, at 00:23:52, CM Poncelet wrote:
>> A *character* string is either any string that has DATATYPE CHAR but not
>> DATATYPE NUM, or is *any* string (and it might as well then be called
>> 'anything string' instead of 'character string').
>>
> You're motivating me to an RCF. I invite emendations
> before I submit it:
>
> Hello, MHVRCFs,
>
> In: z/OS Version 2 Release 4
> TSO/E REXX Reference IBM SA32-0972-40
>
> I see numerous instances of "character string", and
> fewer of simply "string". I believe this is a
> distinction without a difference. If there is a
> difference between "character string" and "string"
> it should be explained in an introductory chapter.
> Otherwise, "character string" is a pleonasm and
> its every occurrence should be changed simply to
> "string".
>
> This has led one reader to misunderstand that
> "character string" means only a string for which
> the DATATYPE() function returns CHAR.
>
> There are several occurrences of "a single character
> string". This is ambiguous. I believe in each case
> it means "exactly one string", but it might be
> misunderstood as "a string containing exactly one
> character". This ambiguity would be removed by
> rephrasing as simply "a single string".
>
> Under "Tokens" the document should clarify as:
> String constanta are denotations of string
> values. A string constant may have one of
> four forms:
> Constant Symbols
> A constant symbol is a symbol starting with
> '.' or a number or to which no value has been
> assigned.
> Literal Strings
> [ ... ]
> The sentence,
> A literal string with no characters (that is, a
> string of length 0) is called a null string.
> is misplaced and overspecified. A null string may also
> be represented by a hexadecimal string (''X), a binary
> string (''B), or by an expression. This is adequately
> described under "Expressions" and should be omitted
> from "Literal Strings".
> Hexadecimal Strings
> [ .... ]
> Binary Strings
> [ .... ]
>
> Under "Expressions":
> Expressions
> ...
> Terms include:
> • Literal Strings (delimited by quotation marks),
> which are constants
> An overspecification. Hexadecimal strings and Binary strings
> are also allowed. Simply "Strings" would suffice. (There
> should be a period at the end of that sentence.)
>
> Thanks,
> gil
>
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