3.2.8 The VARIABLES or COLUMNS Data Cards
(Group/Row-Wise)

The VARIABLES or COLUMNS indicator cards are used interchangeably to announce the (problem) variables for the minimization. The user may also give a scaling factor for the entries in the column. The syntax for data following this indicator card is given in Figure 3.9.

Figure 3.9: Possible data cards for VARIABLES or COLUMNS (row-wise)

The string varbl-name in data field 2 gives the name of the variable (or column) under consideration. This name may be up to ten characters long excepting that the name `SCALE' is not allowed. If data field 1 holds the character X or Z, an array definition is to be made. In this case, the expanded array name of the variables (or columns) must be valid and the integer indices must have been defined in a parameter assignment (see Section 3.2.3).

The string $$$$$$$$$$ in data field 3 is used for four purposes.

• If the string is empty, the card is just defining the name of a problem variable. Such a card must be inserted for all variables that only appear in nonlinear elements.

• It may be used to announce that all the entries in the linear elements for the variable under consideration are to be scaled. On Z cards, the numerical value of this scale factor, the amount by which each entry is to be divided, is that previously associated with the real parameter r-p-a-name given in field 5. On other cards, the actual scale factor numerical-vl occupies up to 12 characters in data field 4.
• It may be used to specify that the variable(s) mentioned in field 2 is(are) only allowed to take integer values. In this case field 3 will contain the string 'INTEGER'.
• It may be used to specify that the variable(s) mentioned in field 2 is(are) only allowed to take the values 0 or 1. In this case field 3 will contain the string 'ZERO-ONE'.