reading COMP-3 data using cobol program on UNIX - Aix
This is a discussion on reading COMP-3 data using cobol program on UNIX - Aix ; hi ppl,
I have problems reading the COMP-3 data.Below is the
description of the problem.
I have a file with COMP-3 data on IBM mainframe.It is in a PS
file.
As a next step i FTP it to the UNIX ...
-
reading COMP-3 data using cobol program on UNIX
hi ppl,
I have problems reading the COMP-3 data.Below is the
description of the problem.
I have a file with COMP-3 data on IBM mainframe.It is in a PS
file.
As a next step i FTP it to the UNIX environment ( Solaris
8.1).Also we have microfocus server express 4.0
installed in the UNIX.
After FTPing it in ascii mode i need to run a cobol program
which can read this COMP-3 data.
To compile and run the program we are using the microfocus
compiler.
The result of running the program is as below:
Successfully reads the non-COMP data.
COMP-3 data is read as a junk.
The variable declaration in my cobol program is as follows:
fs-abc S9(8) COMP-3.
fs-xyz 9(2).
FILLER X(73).
I created a structure file using the DATA FILE EDITOR and
tried to view the data in formatted mode,
I can view the right data if FTPed in binary mode.
Ultimately the aim is to read the data (COMP-3 and non-COMP
data) using the cobol program.
Kindly give me some inputs on the above problem.
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Re: reading COMP-3 data using cobol program on UNIX
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kimi wrote:
> hi ppl,
> I have problems reading the COMP-3 data.Below is the
> description of the problem.
>
> I have a file with COMP-3 data on IBM mainframe.It is in a PS
> file.
> As a next step i FTP it to the UNIX environment ( Solaris
> 8.1).Also we have microfocus server express 4.0
> installed in the UNIX.
>
>
> After FTPing it in ascii mode
That's your problem. COMP-3 is a /binary/ data format, and if you FTP it in
ASCII /text/, your FTP will alter the COMP-3 data according to text rules.
Since you are transferring COMP-3 from a mainframe, I'm going to assume that
the source data is otherwise coded in EBCDIC. If so, your FTP will translate
the EBCDIC text (including EBCDIC control characters) into ASCII text and
control characters. Your COMP-3 numbers will suffer inadvertant translation.
Think of the number 987 in COMP-3. That's x'98', x'7F', which are the
EBCDIC-US small letter Q ('q') followed by the EBCDIC-US quotation mark ('"').
/Because/ you told FTP to transfer in ASCII ("text") mode, FTP will see these
as EBCDIC text bytes and not COMP-3 data, and translate them to the ASCII
small letter Q (x'71') and the ASCII quotation mark (x'22), corrupting your
COMP-3 data into a non packed decimal x'7122'.
> i need to run a cobol program
> which can read this COMP-3 data.
> To compile and run the program we are using the microfocus
> compiler.
[snip]
Don't transfer your data with FTP text mode.
Either
a) use BINARY mode and make your mainframe program translate the EBCDIC text
to ASCII, or
b) use BINARY mode and make your microfocus program translate the EBCDIC text
to ASCII before processing it, or
c) (Best choice) make your mainframe program use DISPLAY rather than the
COMP-x formats for all output numeric data, and transfer the file in ASCII
mode. This will mean that the Microfocus program will have to /read/ all
numeric values in DISPLAY form.
HTH
- --
Lew Pitcher
Master Codewright & JOAT-in-training | Registered Linux User #112576
http://pitcher.digitalfreehold.ca/ | GPG public key available by request
- ---------- Slackware - Because I know what I'm doing. ------
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