Continuation of double-byte data

No special considerations apply to continuation:

Where double-byte data is created by a code-generation program, and
There is no requirement for double-byte data to be readable on a device capable of presenting DBCS characters

A double-byte character string can be continued at any point, and SO and SI must be balanced within a field, but not within a statement line.

Where double-byte data is created by a workstation that has the capability of presenting DBCS characters, such as the IBM 5550 multistation, or where readability of double-byte data in High Level Assembler source input or listings is required, special features of the High Level Assembler language might be used. When the DBCS assembler option is specified, High Level Assembler provides the flexibility to cater for any combination of double-byte data and single-byte data. The special features provided are:

Removal of redundant SI/SO at continuation points. When an SI is placed in the end column of a continued line, and an SO is placed in the continue column of the next line, the SI and SO are considered redundant and are removed from the statement before statement analysis.
An extended continuation-indicator provides a flexible end column on a line-by-line basis to support any alignment of double-byte data in a source statement. The end column of continued lines can be shifted to the left by extending the continuation-indicator.
To guard against accidental continuation caused by double-byte data ending in the continuation-indicator column, SO and SI are not continuation indicators. If either falls in the continuation-indicator column, this warning message is issued:
```
ASMA201W SO or SI in continuation column - no continuation
assumed
```

The use of these features is shown in Examples. The examples below show the use of these features. Refer to Double-byte character set notation for the notation used in the examples.