Scale attribute (S')

The scale attribute can be used only when referring to fixed-point, floating-point, or decimal constants. The following table shows the numeric value assigned to the scale attribute:

Constant Types Allowed	Type of DC or DS Allowed	Value of Scale Attribute Assigned
Fixed-Point	H and F	Equal to the value of the scale modifier (-187 through +346)
Floating Point	D, E, and L	Equal to the value of the scale modifier(0 through 14 — D, E)(0 through 28 — L)
Decimal	P and Z	Equal to the number of decimal digits specified to the right of the decimal point(0 through 31 — P)(0 through 16 — Z)

The scale attribute can also be specified outside conditional assembly instructions. Then, the scale attribute value is not used for conditional assembly processing, but is used as a value at assembly time.

Notes:

The scale attribute reference can be used only in arithmetic expressions.
When no scale attribute value can be determined, the reference is flagged and the scale attribute is 1.
If the value of the SETC symbol is equal to the name of an instruction that can validly define the scale attribute, the assembler lets you use the scale attribute with a SETC symbol.
Binary floating-point constants return an attribute of 0.
Decimal floating-point constants return an attribute of 0.
The scale attribute reference can only be used in arithmetic expressions in conditional assembly instructions, and in absolute and relocatable expressions in assembler and machine instructions.