Re: variable CCSID for a variable

Well I'm not sure what you mean by "I connected to it via the Access IFS tools". If you mean you used ACS simply to view the file and the content was garbage my first thought would be that you didn't specify the translate option on the open().

The C functions will (unless translate is requested) simply write the bytes that you present to it. If you have a variable with `1208 then RPG converts its native EBCDIC characters to 1208 as it builds the variable. That would explain why without the 1208 you see gibberish but valid characters when the 1208 is specified.

So, if you want to be able to build an arbitrary string in the program and output it in any CCSID you choose then you should build it in a variable that can handle the full range of characters that you want to use. In your case the default EBCDIC is probably fine. You then use the open()'s tranlate and code page options to control the output.


Jon Paris
Jon.Paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Feb 8, 2025, at 11:27 AM, smith5646midrange@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

I used the C function open() and created the file with 1208. I then wrote to it normally via the C write() function.

When I connected to it via the Access IFS tools, the contents were garbage. When I changed the variable in the program to also be CCSID 1208 as shown below, the contents were readable.

Am I overlooking something?

-----Original Message-----
From: RPG400-L <rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Jon Paris
Sent: Friday, February 7, 2025 5:40 PM
To: RPG programming on the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries) <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: variable CCSID for a variable

Maybe I'm missing something, but there are two ways of writing to the IFS that I am aware of. One uses the C functions and the other uses SQL. In both cases the code page can be specified - on the open() for the C functions and the Write for SQL. Both values can be passed as variables or hard-coded as literals.

So .... ???


Jon Paris
Jon.Paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Feb 7, 2025, at 3:12 PM, smith5646midrange@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

I have a program that writes data to the IFS.



Strings are concatenated into dataString. Eventually dataString is
written to the IFS. It used to only write UTF-8 so it utilized the
CCSID on the variable as follows.



dcl-s dataString varchar(1048576) ccsid(1208);



Now my client has times they want to write ebcdic instead of utf8. Is
there a way to make the ccsid on the above variable a variable that I
can pass into my program? I would rather not write code like this.
First because it is ugly to have these if statements throughout the
code (I know, I can create a function and it won't be as bad) but
second we are now locked into using only two CCSIDs and I would have
to change the program if they decided that they want a third or fourth
CCSID. With a parm, I can just say give it a try.



dcl-s dataString1208 varchar(1048576) ccsid(1208);

dcl-s dataString37 varchar(1048576) ccsid(37);



if parmCCSID = UTF8

append to dataString1208

else

append to dataString37

endif

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