RE: More information on the 65535 CCSID

Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 21:51:16 -0500
From: mcrump@ballfoster.com
Subject: More information on the 65535 CCSID

I'm confused.  There are some issues with the CA/400 file transfer that
revolve around files with the CCSID of 65535.  Can anyone illuminate as
to why?  Essentially, it seems that with R1M2 of CA/400 and the NT/95
client the default is to not translate this data.......at least with the
PTF level I'm at....

>From the knowledge base -->>

Coded Character Set ID (CCSID) is a part of National Language Support
(NLS). CCSIDs assign a value that uniquely identifies the coded graphic
character representation used for character data. In other words, it
defines how the binary data stored in an AS/400 file should be displayed
to the user. For example, a character field with data of x4F marked
CCSID 00500 (Multilingual) will appear
as an exclamation point (!). The same data, x4F, in a field with CCSID
00037 US/Canada) will appear as a solid vertical bar (|). The same data
in a field with CCSID 65535 will be displayed by data transfer as "4F".

A CCSID is assigned to fields and files during creation. Database files
on the AS/400 system can be created through a number of different
methods but all files fall into two categories: (1) externally described
files, and (2) flat files. Externally described files can be created by
compiling Data Description Specifications (DDS) source code or by using
an SQL CREATE TABLE command. Flat files are usually created by using
CRTPF from a command line and specifying a fixed record length rather
than a DDS source file. When either of these file types are created, a
CCSID is assigned to the file or fields in a file as an attribute that
is used to determine how
the data is stored. What CCSID is assigned varies depending on how the
file was created.

When DDS source is compiled to create an externally described file, the
default CCSID of the file (and any character fields in the file) is the
same as the "Default coded character set identifier" parameter of the
current job. The job's default CCSID is determined as follows: "If the
job coded character set identifier (CCSID) is not 65535, the default
CCSID will equal the job CCSID. If the job CCSID is 65535 (the AS/400
default), an appropriate value is set for the default CCSID based on the
job's language identifier LANGID." The job's language identifier comes
from the user profile information and this in turn defaults to the
appropriate system
value.

When the CRTPF command is used to create a fixed record length file
(flat file) the AS/400 system will always use the job's "coded character
set identifier" (as opposed to the job's "default coded character set
identifier") to set the file CCSID. Since the AS/400 system default for
this parameter is 65535 the file is created with CCSID 65535 - binary
data. Additionally, some tools on the AS/400 system such as Query/400
output database files with character fields defined as CCSID 65535.

The CCSID of a flat (program described) file may not be changed. If you
attempt to set the CCSID parameter on either the CRTPF command or CHGPF
command, an error will occur. To correct the problem you would need to
create a file with the correct CCSID using SQL or DDS and then use the
CPYF command to copy the data. For example, to create a file for use
with the CPYSPLF command (one character field that is 132 bytes long)
use the following DDS:

               R REC1
    A            F1           132A


>From Document number 10134756  If you go to the knowledge base and
search on CCSID, you'll find a wealth of knowledge . . .

HTH
Mary :-)

--
Mary Spencer
Director of information Services
University of Toledo Foundation
Driscoll Center Rm 1002, 2801 W Bancroft
Toledo, OH 43606
Voice 419-530-7730 - Fax 419-530-2895

"For every problem there is one solution which is simple, neat and
wrong." H. L. Mencken

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