The special symbols in Genstat are as follows:
ampersand (&)
repeats the previous statement name (unless that statement contained a syntax error) and any option settings that are not explicitly changed;
asterisk (*)
denotes a missing value (and is also used as an operator);
backslash (
is the continuation symbol, typed at the end of a line to indicate that the current statement continues onto the next line (this is unnecessary when directive SET has been used to specify that newline is to be ignored);
dollar ($)
precedes a list of unit names or numbers (enclosed in square brackets) that define subsets of a factor, variate, matrix, symmetric matrix, diagonal matrix, or text;
exclamation mark (!)
indicates an unnamed structure (vertical bar (|) is synonymous with exclamation mark);
hash (#)
is the substitution symbol; when used on its own (i.e. followed just by a punctuation symbol) it represents the default setting of an option; alternatively, it can be followed by the identifier of a data structure whose values are to be inserted at that point in a Genstat statement (the substitution takes place immediately before the statement is executed). A pair of contiguous substitution symbols (##) is used to introduce a macro.