There is no "should" in this sort of situation. There is a "could". There is a "wouldn't it be nice if".
Could it be done? Sure. Would having done so have helped this case? Sure. Would doing so be a better use of limited resources than doing something else? There is no requirement that a macro do any more than what it is documented to do, which is to provide the correct expansion when you have provided valid syntax. Most macros do far more than that. Will ESPIE be changed? Probably not. Whether you ask here or via RFE. ESPIE (and SPIE) have had no such check for over 40 years. There are many macros that make no attempt to look at (or for) positional parameters. Peter Relson z/OS Core Technology Design
