The SIGNS subparameter specifies the sign(s) that will appear before or after the edited number.
The sign replacement character, normally 'S', has special meaning if it appears as the first or last character in an edit pattern. In these positions, the sign replacement character will be replaced, as appropriate, by the characters specified by the SIGNS subparameter.
Where:
s1= leading positive sign indicator
s2= leading negative sign indicator
s3= trailing positive sign indicator
s4= trailing negative sign indicator
Because the SIGNS subparameter contains four positional values, commas must be used to indicate embedded, unspecified values. Each of the four values can contain one, and only one, character; specified characters must be separated by commas.
A blank, comma, quotation mark and unbalanced parenthesis used as a SIGNS character must be enclosed within apostrophes. An apostrophe used as a SIGNS character must be specified as two apostrophes enclosed within apostrophes ('''').
When the SIGNS subparameter is specified, the letter 'S' is normally used as the sign replacement character in the user-supplied edit pattern. You can change the last letter of the keyword SIGNS in order to specify another character as the sign replacement character. For example, if you specify SIGNX instead of SIGNS, the letter 'X' becomes the sign replacement character in the user-provided edit pattern.
then a trailing minus sign will print if the number is negative and a trailing blank will print if the number is positive.
The SIGNS subparameter can also be used to override the sign values in MFX provided editing masks.