>>-+-----------------+--PUNCH--string--------------------------><
   '-sequence_symbol-'                  

sequence_symbol

Is a sequence symbol.

string

Is a character string of up to 80 characters, enclosed in apostrophes. All 256 characters in the EBCDIC character set are allowed in the character string. Variable symbols are also allowed.

Double-byte data is permissible in the operand field when the DBCS assembler option is specified. However, the following rules apply to double-byte data:

• The DBCS ampersand and the apostrophe are not recognized as delimiters.
• A double-byte character that contains the value of an EBCDIC ampersand or an apostrophe in either byte is not recognized as a delimiter when enclosed by SO and SI.

The position of each character specified in the PUNCH statement corresponds to a column in the record to be punched. However, the following rules apply to ampersands and apostrophes:

• A single ampersand initiates an attempt to identify a variable symbol and to substitute its current value.
• A pair of ampersands is punched as one ampersand.
• A pair of apostrophes is punched as one apostrophe.
• An unpaired apostrophe followed by one or more spaces ends the string of characters punched. If a non-space character follows an unpaired apostrophe, an error message is issued and nothing is punched.

Only the characters punched, including spaces, count toward the maximum of 80 allowed.

The PUNCH instruction causes the data in its operand to be punched (copied) into a record. One PUNCH instruction produces one record, but as many PUNCH instructions as necessary can be used.

The assembler writes the record produced by a PUNCH statement when it writes the object deck. The ordering of this record in the object deck is determined by the order in which the PUNCH statement is processed by the assembler. The record appears after any object deck records produced by previous statements, and before any other object deck records produced by subsequent statements.

The PUNCH instruction statement can appear anywhere in a source module. If a PUNCH instruction occurs before the first control section, the resultant record punched precedes all other records in the object deck.