Space {º}

A space can immediately precede or follow any separator except:

• The opening pseudo-text delimiter, where the preceding space is required.

• Within quotation marks. Spaces between quotation marks are considered part of the nonnumeric literal; they are not considered separators.

Period {.º}, Comma {,º}, Semicolon {;º}

A separator comma is composed of a comma followed by a space; a separator period is composed of a period followed by a space; a separator semicolon is composed of a semicolon followed by a space.

The separator period must be used only to indicate the end of a sentence, or as shown in formats. The separator comma and separator semicolon can be used anywhere the separator space is used.

• In the Identification Division, each paragraph must end with a separator period.

• In the Environment Division, the SOURCE-COMPUTER, OBJECT-COMPUTER, SPECIAL-NAMES, and I-O-CONTROL paragraphs must each end with a separator period. In the FILE-CONTROL paragraph, each File-Control entry must end with a separator period.

• In the Data Division, File (FD), Sort/Merge file (SD), and data description entries must each end with a separator period.

• In the Procedure Division, separator commas or separator semicolons can separate statements within a sentence, and operands within a statement. Each sentence and each procedure must end with a separator period.

Parentheses { ( } ... { ) }

Except in pseudo-text, parentheses can appear only in balanced pairs of left and right parentheses. They delimit subscripts, a list of function arguments, reference-modifiers, arithmetic expressions, or conditions.

Colon { : }

The colon is a separator and is required when shown in general formats.

Quotation marks {"} . . . {"}

An opening quotation mark must be immediately preceded by a space or a left parenthesis. A closing quotation mark must be immediately followed by a separator (space, comma, semicolon, period, right parenthesis, or pseudo-text delimiter). Quotation marks must appear as balanced pairs. They delimit nonnumeric literals, except when the literal is continued (see "Continuation Lines" in topic 1.3.4.2).

X Apostrophes {'} ... {'}

X An opening apostrophe must be immediately preceded by a space or a
X left parenthesis. A closing apostrophe must be immediately followed
X by a separator (space, comma, semicolon, period, or right
X parenthesis). Apostrophes must appear as balanced pairs. They
X delimit nonnumeric literals, except when the literal is continued (see
X "Continuation Lines" in topic 1.3.4.2).

Pseudo-text delimiters {º==} . . . {==º}

An opening pseudo-text delimiter must be immediately preceded by a space. A closing pseudo-text delimiter must be immediately followed by a separator (space, comma, semicolon, or period). Pseudo-text delimiters must appear as balanced pairs. They delimit pseudo-text. (See "COPY Statement" in topic 8.1.4.)

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