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Structure of a Batch Program

The structure of a batch program is not predetermined. There is no declaration section for variables in the program. All instructions are specified in the program according to their execution order. Multiple blanks are allowed between instructions. Even no blanks between instructions are possible if the semantics are clear. Single instructions in a line don't have to be completed by a semicolon. In such a case the end of line character (Ctrl-D) is separating two different instructions in two lines. Also key words which have the responsibility of determining the end of a block ( endwhile, endif, endfor, until and else) don't have to be completed by a semicolon. Multiple semicolons are possible between two instructions. However if there are more than two instructions in a line the semicolon is necessary. Comments in the source code of the programs start with a '#' character. Then the rest of the line will be regarded as a comment.
A comment could have the following appearance:

#This is a comment
a:=4 #This is another comment
The second line begins with an instruction and ends with a comment.



Niels.Mache@informatik.uni-stuttgart.de
Tue Nov 28 10:30:44 MET 1995