Equate
Enhanced Definition
In mainframe computing, "equate" refers to the process of assigning a symbolic name or alias to a value, address, register, or resource, thereby establishing an equivalence between the symbol and its underlying definition. This practice significantly enhances the readability, maintainability, and reusability of code, control statements, and system configurations. In the context of IBM mainframe systems, to "equate" primarily refers to the process of assigning a symbolic name to a specific value, address, or resource. This establishes a direct, often fixed, correspondence between a human-readable label and its underlying definition, enhancing code readability, maintainability, and reusability within programs and Job Control Language (JCL).
Key Characteristics
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- Symbolic Representation: Replaces literal values, memory addresses, or complex expressions with meaningful, human-readable symbolic names.
- Compile-Time/Assembly-Time Resolution: Equated symbols are typically resolved by the compiler or assembler, meaning the symbolic name is replaced by its actual value before the program or job executes.
- Scope: The scope of an equated symbol can vary, ranging from local within a single program module (e.g., Assembler
EQUdirective) to system-wide definitions (e.g., z/OS system symbols). - Flexibility and Maintainability: Allows for easy modification of a value or resource definition by changing it in one central place (the equate definition) rather than searching for and updating multiple occurrences throughout the code.
- Resource Abstraction: Provides a layer of abstraction for system resources, making programs
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