/sys$common/syshlp/helplib.hlb WRITE, Qualifiers, /SYMBOL  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    Causes the expression to be interpreted and its expanded value
    placed in a 2048-byte (instead of a 1024-byte) buffer before
    the write operation is performed. If you specify multiple
    expressions, their values are concatenated and placed in the
    2048-byte buffer. Use the /SYMBOL qualifier to write a very large
    record.

    Each expression specified must be a symbol. You cannot specify
    character string expressions (that is, strings in quotation
    marks) with the /SYMBOL qualifier.

    If you do not use the /SYMBOL qualifier, the entire command,
    including the expression or expressions, is placed in a 1024-byte
    buffer.