A SWITCH FORMAT declaration associates an identifier with a list of items representing editing specifications. Any of these items and the associated editing specifications can later be referenced by using the identifier and a number corresponding to the position of the item in the list.

<switch format declaration>

── SWITCH ── FORMAT ──<identifier>── := ──<switch format list>─────────┤

<switch format identifier>

An identifier that is associated with a switch format list in a SWITCH FORMAT declaration.

<switch format list>

  ┌◄─────────── , ──────────┐
──┴─<switch format segment>─┴──────────────────────────────────────────┤

<switch format segment>

──┬─<format designator>────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┤
  ├─ ( ──<editing specifications>── ) ─┤
  └─ < ──<editing specifications>── > ─┘

<format designator>

──┬─<format identifier>───────────────────────────────┬────────────────┤
  └─<switch format identifier>── [ ──<subscript>── ] ─┘