A string is any series of EBCDIC characters enclosed in double quotation marks ("). If a string extends beyond column 72 of a card image, the card image boundary acts as an implicit double quotation mark. The string must be continued on the next card image and must begin with a double quotation mark (").

A double quotation mark (") is represented in a string by placing two adjacent double quotation marks on the same card image.

Two adjacent strings, separated only by blanks, remarks, or card image boundaries, are automatically concatenated.

A string can contain at most 255 characters.

A string can be written as shown in the following diagram:

<string>

  ┌◄─────────────────────────── <one or more blanks> ──────────────────────────┐
  │     ┌◄───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐     │
──┴─ " ─┴─┬─ <any EBCDIC character except double quotation marks (")> ─┬─┴─ " ─┴─┤
          └─ <two adjacent double quotation marks("")> ────────────────┘

Examples

The following examples illustrate valid strings:

"THIS IS A STRING"
"THIS STRING CONTAINS A SINGLE "" QUOTATION MARK"
"THIS STRING CONTAINS TWO """" QUOTATION MARKS"
"THIS CONCATENATED" "STRING CONTAINS NO QUOTATION MARKS"
"123ABC% ; +"