The rules for coding the assembler options are:

• You can specify the options in any order.
• If you specify an incorrect option the assembler issues a diagnostic message, and sets the return code to 2 or higher. You can prevent the setting of the return code by using the FLAG option.

z/VM

• If you specify two or more options, the options can be separated by spaces or commas.

z/OS

• If you specify two or more options, the list of options must be enclosed within apostrophes or parentheses. Each option must be separated by a comma.
• If you specify only one option and it does not include any special characters, the enclosing apostrophes or parentheses can be omitted.
• All options that have suboptions must be within apostrophes because they contain special characters.
• If you need to continue the PARM field onto another record, the entire PARM field must be enclosed in parentheses. However, any part of the PARM field enclosed in apostrophes must not be continued on another record.

z/VSE

• You must enclose the options in apostrophes and separate each option with a comma.
• If you need to continue the PARM field onto another record, place any character in column 72 of the record you want to continue, and continue in column 16 on the following record.
• The operating system passes to the assembler any spaces you code in the PARM=JCL parameter, including those implied in a continuation. For example:

  // EXEC ASMA90,SIZE=(ASMA90,50K),PARM='RENT,SIZE(MAX-500K),EXIT(LIBEXIT/
                 (EDECKXIT))'

  is not equivalent to:

  // EXEC ASMA90,SIZE=(ASMA90,50K),PARM='RENT,SIZE(MAX-500K),            /
                 EXIT(LIBEXIT(EDECKXIT))'

  The second example results in this diagnostic message:

  ** ASMA400W ERROR IN INVOCATION PARAMETER - EXIT (LIBEXIT(EDECKXIT))