The following information describes Symantec ESM header definitions:

• .header [length]

  This directive starts the header definition. If a length is specified and positive, it is a fixed length header. Otherwise, the header is assumed to be a variable length. If the header is defined, it is the first thing written to the output file.

• .field delimiter <delimiter(s)>

  A field delimiter is required for variable length headers and is optional for fixed length headers. Field delimiters are concatenated to the end of each field in the header. A field delimiter can be a single number that represent the decimal value of an ASCII character. A field delimiter can also be a space-separated list of no more than eight numbers. For example, to limit a header to nine characters that are followed by a comment, use the following:

  .field delimiter 9	# Tab
  

• field [length] <string>

  Field length is only required in a fixed length header. Fields can be defined only between .header, .record, or .footer directives. If the string includes spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes. Keywords and their length specifiers may be included as explained above. An unprintable character may be included in a field's value by entering its ASCII decimal value after a '\'.

  For example, to limit a field to six characters, add the prefix "EM", and truncate the contents to the first four characters, use the following:

  .field 6 "EM%adjusted_code:4%"
  

• .endheader [delimiter(s)]

  This directive ends the header definition. The optional delimiter list is concatenated to the end of the header.