PAR and SUBPAR states do not have a one-to-one correspondence. Each SUBPAR state is equated to the appropriate generic PAR states. The former version of PAR_STATE routine returned SUBPAR states, rather than the PAR states as happens now. Existing applications which compare the returned state with any of SUBPAR__GROUND, SUBPAR__ACTIVE, SUBPAR__CANCEL, and SUBPAR__NULL (defined in SUBPAR_PAR) will continue to function, since the PAR equivalents have the same numerical values.
| PAR Symbolic name | Meaning | SUBPAR states |
| PAR__GROUND | The parameter has never had a value. | SUBPAR__GROUND |
| SUBPAR__EOL | ||
| SUBPAR__RESET | ||
| SUBPAR__ACCEPT | ||
| SUBPAR__RESACC | ||
| SUBPAR__FPROMPT | ||
| SUBPAR__RESPROM | ||
| SUBPAR__ACCPR | ||
| SUBPAR__RESACCPR | ||
| PAR__ACTIVE | The parameter has a value. | SUBPAR__ACTIVE |
| SUBPAR__MAX | ||
| SUBPAR__MIN | ||
| PAR__CANCEL | The parameter value has been cancelled. | SUBPAR__CANCEL |
| PAR__NULLST | The parameter is null. | SUBPAR__NULL |