This works for me. Try using a string function around the __JOBCARD
variable. Just like you did in your script where you used UPS and RTRIM.

Echo JobCard = ![RTRIM(__JOBCARD)]

John Zoltak
North American Mfg Co

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tony Furnivall [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, May 07, 1998 9:31 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      [HP3000-L] Managing variables that contain JCL (with a
> !)
>
> I know that this keeps cropping up, but I can't for the life of me
> remember
> the effective way to do this.
>
> I'm processing some files containg JCL (with the ! in column 1), and I
> need
> to parse out and modify the !JOB line. How can I get the CI to ignore
> the !
> that immediately precedes the JOB, but still regard the entire line as
> a
> single variable?
>
> The snippet in question reads something like this:
>
> While not __jobcardfound and finfo("jobtemp","eof")>0 do
>       input __jobcard<jobtemp
>       setvar __jobcard rtrim("!__jobcard")
>       if  pos("JOB","ups("!__jobcard")>0 then
>           echo JOB card found
>           echo !__jobcard
>
> <deletia>
>
> The problem is that the contents of __jobcard are
> !JOB MYJOB, etc
>
> and when I try and echo the variable __jobcard, it tries to evaluate
> the
> !JOB part and (understandably) complains! (no dereferencing intended)
>
> I've tried echo ![!__jobcard], but no dice. If i try !!__jobcard, then
> all I
> get is the literal "!__jobcard".
> I know there's a way, but I'm stumped, and it's a long way to go til
> quitting time!
> Tony