The CONTROL statement sets the spacing for the diagnostic output. The default is single spacing.

CONTROL also tells VMRGRW which columns in the control file to search for control statements during processing. Columns 1 through 80 are searched by default. If you limit the search to fewer columns, you can use the remaining columns for sequence numbers.

The CONTROL statement takes effect as soon as it is encountered during processing. Because the CONTROL statement determines the appearance and spacing of the diagnostic output, as well as where VMRGRW searches for control statements, put it near the top of your control file.

CONTROL [SPACE n] [START col1 END col2].
  • SPACE n
    Controls the spacing of the diagnostic output. It can be 1 (single) or 2 (double); 1 is the default.
  • START col1 END col2
    Defines the first and last columns in the control file searched for statements. The default START column is 1, and the default END column is 80.
    If a START or END column is specified, it takes effect immediately and acts on the CONTROL statement itself.

Examples

  • This statement produces double-spaced diagnostic output:

    CONTROL SPACE 2.
    
  • This statement limits the search for control statements in the control file to columns 1 through 72 in the control file, letting you put sequence numbers in columns 73 through 80:

    CONTROL START 1 END 72.