Coding Sheet & Rules


For the JCL coding sheet, refer JCL Coding Sheet

While using DFSORT, all the job statements will follow the JCL coding sheet rules and standards except the DFSORT control statements.

The coding sheet for the DFSORT control statements are shown below -

Coding Sheet & Rules

Coding restrictions -


  • Operation definers and operands must be in uppercase.
  • Column 1 of each control statement can be used for either a label or a comment statement that begins with an asterisk in column 1.
  • If label present, a label must begin in column 1.
  • Labels are allowed only in the SYSIN and SORTCNTL datasets.
  • The entire process definer(primary control statement) must be coded on the first line of a control statement.
  • The last operand in a statement must be followed by at least one blank.
  • Blanks are not allowed in operands and anything following a blank is considered part of the remark field.
  • Remarks are allowed only in the SYSIN and SORTCNTL data sets.
  • Commas, semicolons and blanks can be used only as delimiters and can be used in values only if those are constants.
  • 1 to 71 columns used to code control statements
  • 72 column used as a continuation Column.
  • If control statements at line1 ends with comma-blank or semicolon-blank or colon-blank, DFSORT continues on line 2 with the first nonblank character it finds in columns 2-71.
  • If the control statements in line 1 breaks at column 71 with a nonblank in column 72, columns 2-15 of line 2 are blank, DFSORT continues on line 2 with character finds in column 16 (blank or nonblank).
  • If any control statement starts with *(asterisk) in the column 1, then it is considered as comment.
  • If a statement with blank columns 1 through 71 is treated as comment.