Purpose
This control enables users to print the specified string to the standard output stream.
Syntax
| Command | Shorthand |
|---|---|
| REMARK | REM |
where the following is true:
- //
- Specifies a break between lines.
- string
- Represents the user-supplied comment text.
The string can contain a maximum of 253 characters and a maximum of nine break specifications to describe up to 10 lines.
If no string is specified, BTEQ prints a blank line.
Usage Notes
Extra line separator characters are processed differently by mainframe-attached BTEQ than by workstation-attached BTEQ.
| System Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Mainframe-attached | BTEQ prints any additional line separator characters as string text. |
| Workstation-attached | BTEQ truncates any additional line separator characters and text. |
Do not use special characters within the string as they might be interpreted differently by different output devices. A script that uses special characters might have to be modified if the output is routed to another device.
If the string has an apostrophe (single quote) character, use the second form of the REMARK command (the one with quotes as delimiters) or double the apostrophe. For example:
.REMARK "Here's where the two steps merge."
or
.REMARK 'Here''s where the two steps merge.'
If the string does not have an apostrophe, the two forms of the REMARK command are the same.
The REMARK command is valid in an SQL macro.
Breaking a Line
To break a remark line and begin a new line of remark text, insert a pair of slashes (//) at the designated break point. Up to nine line breaks (10 remark lines maximum) are valid within a REMARK command.
Example 1 – REMARK
The following examples show the REMARK command with a properly formatted two-line string, and the same string improperly formatted with an additional pair of line separator characters:
.REMARK 'This is a line of commentary// And another line too' .REMARK 'This is a line //of commentary// And another line//too'
BTEQ Response
This is a line of commentary And another line too This is a line of commentary And another line
Example 2 – REMARK Instigated by a Macro
The commands in an SQL macro appear as:
ECHO 'REMARK ''This is a line of commentary// And another line too'' '; ECHO 'REMARK "This is a line of commentary// And another line too" ';