If the name of a Boolean file attribute in the attribute specifications is not followed by an equal sign (=) and a value, it is assigned a value of TRUE; that is, the following attribute specifications have the same effect as each other:

DEPENDENTSPECS,KIND = DISK

DEPENDENTSPECS = TRUE,KIND = DISK

An assignment specified in a MULTIPLE ATTRIBUTE ASSIGNMENT statement occurs at run time and overrides any assignment made to the attribute in a FILE declaration or through file equation.

One intrinsic call is generated to assign all attributes, except when a pointer-valued file attribute name is assigned a pointer expression. In this case, the compiler generates a separate intrinsic call for the pointer-valued attribute assignment.

Valid mnemonics for file attributes are also type 3 reserved words in ALGOL. When it is not certain whether an identifier is a variable or a mnemonic, the compiler always assumes that the identifier is a variable or other local identifier if it is enclosed in parentheses. If the identifier is not enclosed in parentheses, the compiler always assumes it is a mnemonic. This rule can be used to resolve ambiguities when new attributes with names that conflict with local variables are added to the system.