Re: Data Transfer from i series to excel file or display give hexadecimal values fro date

On 14-Feb-2014 05:59 -0800, Vikhyath Kamath wrote:

Vikhyath Kamath Friday, February 14, 2014 7:01 PM

The user seemed to complain of this first, but when I check I to
data transfer a file from iseries to display or file, the date
appear F0F961F0F261F1F9F2F5.

I assumed it's something to with IBM iseries access for windows
(she was using V5R4), so had her install V6R1 IBM i series access
for windows. We use V6R1 operating system.

Is there a PTF or software update that's required to fix this?

Got the solution.

Well, in Data Transfer, we need to go to File and then Properties
and check the option Convert CCSID 65535.

That did the trick.. :)

To be clear, doing that is *not* a solution; indeed, it is just a 'trick'. Doing that is merely a work-around, to resolve a definitional issue. There should be no *need to* use that feature, but the feature may be _optionally_ activated for use. What really is *needed* in such a situation is to correct the definitional issues that often lead to the false assumption that there is a *need* to use that feature.

That work-around is essentially telling a lie to the system, to trick the system into behaving as one might expect in a particular situation. However, that same lie may expose ill-effects in other cases\situations; i.e. in a scenario where the tagged-ad binary-data should indeed be treated as binary-data, whereby /forced conversion/ will be undesirable.

If the database file has columns with CCSID(*HEX) [CCSID=65535], then _correct_ that definitional issue with the file *instead of* using the kludge that is the /force conversion/ option\checkbox.

By this millennium, every user profile should have been assigned a Language Identifier (LANGID) and CCSID. IIRC having assigned correctly these attributes to the user profile will be the primary resolution to the issue. Beyond the user profile, the column\field CCSID values also need to be set properly, but almost any database file created in the past decade should be assigned from the Job Default CCSID [which is established from the explicit or defaulted language identifier] when not explicitly specified. Having corrected these definitional issues, that work-around with the /force conversion/ checkbox\option can be properly turned off and probably never be visited or utilized again.