U (String function)

Convert EBCDIC string to Unicode constant, including character encoding (String class)

The U intrinsic method converts an EBCDIC string, which may include XML character and entity references, to a Unicode string. The function also converts XML style hexadecimal character references, XHTML entity references, and '&' references to the represented Unicode character. Since in use the method acts like a Unicode constant, it is also documented with the Constant methods.

Syntax

%unicode = string:U

Syntax terms

%unicode

A Unicode string variable to receive the Unicode encoding of the method object string.

string

A constant character string value, which may include an XML-style hexadecimal character reference or an XHTML entity reference. That is, string may contain an ampersand (&) in the following cases: As the substring '&'. This substring is converted to a single ampersand ('&') character. At the start of a hexadecimal character reference (for example, the eight characters '“' for the Unicode "Left double quotation mark" '“'). The character reference is converted to the referenced character. As of Sirius Mods version 7.6, an XHTML entity reference (for example, the six characters ' ' for the "non-breaking-space" character). The entity reference is converted to the referenced character. A decimal character reference (for example, ¬) is not allowed.

Usage notes

• U is a compile-time-only equivalent of the EbcdicToUnicode method of the intrinsic String class (with its CharacterDecode argument implicitly set to 'True').
• Using the U method (or EbcdicToUnicode) is necessary for converting to type Unicode if the string you want to convert may contain a hexadecimal character reference. Such a reference cannot be meaningfully assigned to a Unicode variable otherwise, whereas keyboard-available characters can simply be assigned directly to a Unicode variable without character reference and without conversion by U.
• The U method is available as of Sirius Mods version 7.3.

Examples

1. The first Print statement below displays a plus sign (+); the second Print displays a copyright sign (©); the third displays '2122':

   %p Unicode Initial('+') Print %p

2. Entity for copyright symbol:

   %copy Unicode Initial('©':U) Print %copy

3. Constant for trademark symbol:

   %tm Unicode Initial('™':U) Print %tm:UnicodeToUtf16:StringToHex

   Note

   Simply specifying 'print %tm' in the the third Print example above (or its equivalent 'print %tm:UnicodeToEbcdic') would attempt to translate to EBCDIC and fail because the Unicode trademark character does not translate to a valid EBCDIC character. But the UnicodeToUtf16 method can convert the Unicode variable to a byte-stream string, which the StringToHex method converts to its hex representation.

See also

• You can find the list of XHTML entities on the Internet at the following URL:

  http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/dtds.html#h-A2

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