diff --git a/lib/itoolkit.js b/lib/itoolkit.js
index 594b2135..d78c9634 100644
--- a/lib/itoolkit.js
+++ b/lib/itoolkit.js
@@ -347,11 +347,9 @@ class iPgm {
       opt = type;
     else
       opt = options;
+
     if(!inDs) {  // In recursive mode, if it is an element in DS, then no <parm> or </parm> needed.
-      if(opt && opt.io)  
-        this.xml += i_xml.iXmlNodeParmOpen(opt.io);
-      else 
-        this.xml += i_xml.iXmlNodeParmOpen();
+      this.xml += i_xml.iXmlNodeParmOpen(opt);
     }
     if(__getClass(data) == "Array") {  // If it is a struct parameter, recursivly parse its children.
       if(opt)
diff --git a/lib/ixml.js b/lib/ixml.js
index 0a93a318..face22ff 100644
--- a/lib/ixml.js
+++ b/lib/ixml.js
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ const I_XML_ATTR_KEY_DB = "db";
 const I_XML_ATTR_KEY_USERID = "uid";
 const I_XML_ATTR_KEY_PASSWORD = "pwd";
 const I_XML_ATTR_KEY_IO = "io";
+const I_XML_ATTR_KEY_BY = "by";
 const I_XML_ATTR_VALUE_IO = "both";
 const I_XML_ATTR_KEY_OFFSET = "offset";
 const I_XML_ATTR_KEY_TOP = "top";
@@ -173,9 +174,21 @@ const iXmlNodePgmClose = () => {
   return I_XML_NODE_PGM_CLOSE;
 }
 
-const iXmlNodeParmOpen = (xio) => {
+const iXmlNodeParmOpen = (opt) => {
+  if (!(opt && typeof opt==='object')){
+    return iXmlNodeOpen(I_XML_NODE_PARM_OPEN)
+    + I_XML_NODE_CLOSE;
+  }
+
+  let opt_io=(opt.io) ? iXmlAttrDefault(I_XML_ATTR_KEY_IO,opt.io,I_XML_ATTR_VALUE_OPTIONAL) : "";
+  let opt_by=(opt.by) ? iXmlAttrDefault(I_XML_ATTR_KEY_BY,opt.by,I_XML_ATTR_VALUE_OPTIONAL) : "";
+
+  delete opt.by;
+  delete opt.io;
+
   return iXmlNodeOpen(I_XML_NODE_PARM_OPEN)
-          + iXmlAttrDefault(I_XML_ATTR_KEY_IO,xio,I_XML_ATTR_VALUE_OPTIONAL)
+          + opt_io
+          + opt_by
           + I_XML_NODE_CLOSE;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/iPgmUnit.js b/test/unit/iPgmUnit.js
index 81d534b6..15508a89 100644
--- a/test/unit/iPgmUnit.js
+++ b/test/unit/iPgmUnit.js
@@ -133,6 +133,58 @@ describe('iPgm Class Unit Tests', () => {
 
       expect(pgm.toXML()).to.equal(expectedXML);
     });
+
+    it('regular <parm> contains by=\'val\'', () => {
+      const pgm = new iPgm("MYPGM", {lib:"MYLIB", func: "MY_PROCEDURE"});
+
+      pgm.addParam("", "1A", {by:"val"});
+      pgm.addReturn("", "2A", {name:"output"});
+
+      let lookAtXML=pgm.toXML();
+      expect(lookAtXML).to.match(/<parm .*by='val'.*>/);
+  });
+
+  it('data structure <parm> contains by=\'val\'', () => {
+      const pgm = new iPgm("MYPGM", {lib:"MYLIB", func: "MY_PROCEDURE"});
+
+      const p_inds=[
+        [0, "3s0"],
+        [0, "7s0", {name:"ds_fld2"}]
+      ];
+      
+      pgm.addParam(p_inds, {name:"inds", by:"val"});
+      pgm.addReturn("", "2A", {name:"output"});
+      
+      let lookAtXML=pgm.toXML();
+      expect(lookAtXML).to.match(/<parm .*by='val'.*>/);
+  });
+
+  it('regular <parm> contains by=\'val\', with io=\'both\'', () => {
+      const pgm = new iPgm("MYPGM", {lib:"MYLIB", func: "MY_PROCEDURE"});
+
+      pgm.addParam("", "1A", {by:"val", io:"both"});
+      pgm.addReturn("", "2A", {name:"output"});
+
+      let lookAtXML=pgm.toXML();
+      expect(lookAtXML).to.match(/<parm .*by='val'.*>/);
+      expect(lookAtXML).to.match(/<parm .*io='both'.*>/);
+  });
+
+  it('data structure <parm> contains by=\'val\', with io=\'both\'', () => {
+      const pgm = new iPgm("MYPGM", {lib:"MYLIB", func: "MY_PROCEDURE"});
+
+      const p_inds=[
+        [0, "3s0"],
+        [0, "7s0", {name:"ds_fld2"}]
+      ];
+      
+      pgm.addParam(p_inds, {name:"inds", by:"val", io:"both"});
+      pgm.addReturn("", "2A", {name:"output"});
+      
+      let lookAtXML=pgm.toXML();
+      expect(lookAtXML).to.match(/<parm .*by='val'.*>/);
+      expect(lookAtXML).to.match(/<parm .*io='both'.*>/);
+  });
   });