The OPTION statement allows you to  set  compilation  qualifiers  such  as
  default  data  type,  size,  severity  checking,  constant  type checking,
  subscript checking, overflow checking, decimal rounding, setup, and  scale
  factor  in  a  source  program.   The defaults set affect only the program
  module in which the OPTION statement occurs.  The  OPTION  statement  must
  precede  all  other  source code in a program module with the exception of
  comment fields, REM, SUB, FUNCTION, and other OPTION statements.

  Example

  OPTION TYPE  = REAL,                          &
         SIZE  = (REAL DOUBLE, INTEGER WORD),   &
         INACTIVE INTEGER OVERFLOW,             &
         SCALE = 4

1  –  Syntax

      OPTION option-clause,...

        option-clause:        { ANGLE = angle-clause                 }
                              { HANDLE = handle-clause               }
                              { CONSTANT TYPE = constant-type clause }
                              { OLD VERSION = CDD                    }
                              { TYPE = type-clause                   }
                              { SIZE = size-clause                   }
                              { SCALE = int-const                    }
                              { { ACTIVE   }                         }
                              { { INACTIVE } = active-clause         }

        angle-clause:         { DEGREES }
                              { RADIANS }

        handle-clause:        { BASIC         }
                              { SEVERE        }
                              { ERROR         }
                              { WARNING       }
                              { INFORMATIONAL }

        constant-type-clause: { REAL         }
                              { INTEGER      }
                              { DECIMAL(d,s) }

        type-clause:          { INTEGER  }
                              { REAL     }
                              { EXPLICIT }
                              { DECIMAL  }

        size-clause:          { size-item       }
                              { (size-item,...) }

        size-item:            { INTEGER int-clause }
                              { REAL real-clause   }
                              { DECIMAL (d,s)      }

        int-clause:           { BYTE }
                              { WORD }
                              { LONG }
                              { QUAD }

        real-clause:          { SINGLE }
                              { DOUBLE }
                              { GFLOAT }
                              { SFLOAT }
                              { TFLOAT }
                              { XFLOAT }

        active-clause:        { active-item       }
                              { (active-item,...) }

        active-item:          { INTEGER OVERFLOW   }
                              { DECIMAL OVERFLOW   }
                              { SET                }
                              { DECIMAL ROUNDING   }
                              { SUBSCRIPT CHECKING }