RE: Working with binary files storing text data

[Scott Klement <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

[SNIP]
> We are receiving the data, but it is in binary format.  Each byte of 
> data must be converted to character data in the end.  These characters 
> then must be interpreted in a specific manner.
[SNIP]
> When we receive the data in the RPG program, the first character of the
> buffer is visible, but the remainder is not interpreted.  You can see
> that there is data there, but it is displayed as blocks.

If the data binary and intended to be interpreted in a special manner, it 
may not be human-readable. That would explain why you can't read it.

If you're expecting data that is human-readable (and therefore it'd be 
"text" rather than "binary" data) then perhaps it's being sent in ASCII 
and you're viewing it in EBCDIC?

Try viewing it in hex in debug.  Look up the hex values on an ASCII chart 
and see if they're the characters you're expecting.

If they are, try converting the data to ASCII using the iconv() API or the 
QDCXLATE API.  Search the web for examples of these APIs, many have been 
posted.