EbcdicToAscii (String function)

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Convert EBCDIC string to ASCII (String class)


EbcdicToAscii is an intrinsic function that converts an EBCDIC string to ASCII (ISO 8859-1) using the current Unicode tables. Optionally, character references, entity references, and individual ampersand (&) references are converted to the represented ASCII character.

Syntax

%outString = string:EbcdicToAscii[( [CharacterDecode= boolean])] Throws CharacterTranslationException

Syntax terms

%outString A string variable to receive the method object, string, translated to Ascii.
string An EBCDIC character string.
CharacterDecode The optional (name required) CharacterDecode argument is a Boolean enumeration:
  • If its value is True, an ampersand (&) in the input EBCDIC string is allowed only as the beginning of one of these types of character or entity reference:
    • The substring &. This substring is converted to a single & character.
    • A hexadecimal character reference (for example, the six characters '' for the ASCII "Device Control String" character (X'90')). 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 copyright character ©). The entity reference is converted to the referenced character.

    A decimal character reference (for example, ¬) is not allowed.

  • If its value is False, the default, an ampersand is treated only as a normal character.

Exceptions

EbcdicToAscii can throw the following exception:

CharacterTranslationException
If the method encounters a translation problem, properties of the exception object may indicate the location and type of problem.

Usage notes

  • EbcdicToAscii is available as of Sirius Mods version 7.3.

Examples

The following fragment shows calls of EbcdicToAscii against a variety of EBCDIC characters. The X constant function is used in the example.

%e string Len 20 %a string Len 20 %e = '12' %a = %e:EbcdicToAscii Print %a:StringToHex %e = '1
2' %a = %e:EbcdicToAscii(CharacterDecode=True) Print %a:StringToHex %e = '©' %a = %e:EbcdicToAscii(CharacterDecode=True) Print %a:StringToHex %e = 'F1FFF2':X %a = %e:EbcdicToAscii

The result is:

3132 310A32 A9 CANCELLING REQUEST: MSIR.0751: Class STRING, function EBCDICTOASCII: CHARACTER TRANSLATIONEXCEPTION exception: EBCDIC character X'FF' without valid translation to ASCII at byte position 2 ...

See also