A "quoted string" is any sequence of characters that begins and ends with an apostrophe (compare with conditional assembly character expressions described in Character (SETC) expressions).

To include one or more apostrophes or substituted apostrophes within the string (inside the delimiting apostrophes) two apostrophes must be specified for each apostrophe.

A "character string" is a sequence of characters that is not delimited with apostrophes.

Quoted strings can contain double-byte data, if the DBCS assembler option is specified. The double-byte data must be bracketed by the SO and SI delimiters. Only valid double-byte data is recognized between the SO and SI. The SI must be in any odd-numbered byte position after the SO. If the end of the operand is reached before SI is found, then error ASMA203E Unbalanced double-byte delimiters is issued.

Macro instruction operands can have values that include one or more quoted strings. Each quoted string can be separated from the following quoted string by one or more characters, and each must contain an even number of apostrophes.

''
'L''SYMBOL'
'QUOTE1'AND'QUOTE2'
A'B'C