TAL Reference Manual

Language Elements
TAL Reference Manual—526371-001
2-8
Delimiters
Table 2-8. Delimiters (page1of2)
Symbol
Character
Representation Uses
! Exclamation mark Begins and optionally ends a comment
-- Two hyphens Begins a comment
, Comma Separates fields of information, such as in
declarations, statements, directives, and
constant lists
; Semicolon Terminates data declarations
Separates statements
Separates declaration options
. Period Separates identifier levels in a qualified
structure item identifier
< n:n> Angle brackets Delimit a bit field in a bit deposit or bit
extraction
: Colon Denotes a statement label
Denotes a procedure entry point
Denotes an ASSERT statement assert
level
Denotes a parameter pair
() Parentheses Delimit subexpressions within an
expression
Delimit instructions in a CODE statement
Delimit the parameter list of a DEFINE,
procedure, subprocedure, or CALL
statement
Delimit the referral in a structure pointer
declaration
Delimit the implied decimal point position
in a FIXED variable
[n:n] Square brackets Delimit the bounds specification in the
declaration of an array, structure, or
substructure
-> Hyphen plus right
angle bracket
Begins one or more labels in a labeled
CASE statement
Begins a next-addr clause in a SCAN or
RSCAN statement
Begins a next-addr clause in a move
statement
Begins a next-addr clause in a group
comparison expression
“string” Quotation marks Delimit a character string
““ Contiguous quotation
marks
The first quotation mark indicates that the
second quotation mark is not a delimiter in
a character string