Using 'Per Transfer' Translation Tables with XCOM

Products

• XCOM Data Transport - Windows
• XCOM Data Transport - Linux PC
• XCOM Data Transport
• XCOM Data Transport - z/OS

Issue/Introduction

XCOM Data Transport uses ASCII to EBCDIC and EBCDIC to ASCII tables for translation when text (or fixed) files are being sent or received. Sites have the ability to create their own user tables. However, these user tables are loaded on a global level and will be used by all transfers.

 

Environment

XCOM Data Transport for Windows, UNIX, Linux, z/OS

 

Resolution

A new parameter has been introduced, CODETABL, to support the ability to specify a translation table for each transfer. The enhanced ATOE & ETOA translation will allow the user to specify a unique ATOE or ETOA translation tables for each transfer. If you do not specify a translation table for the transfer, XCOM will function as it did in prior releases.

To specify external character conversion tables for use by transfers

Build conversion tables by customizing a copy of the atoe.tab or etoa.tab character sets and changing the character translations only where necessary. The method for creating the table has not changed. What has changed is the way the table is named and specified. When creating external custom ASCII-to-EBCDIC and EBCDIC-to-ASCII translation tables, create the ATOE/ETOA tables using the xxx atoe.tab and xxx etoa.tab naming convention.

For example,
ABCatoe.tab
ABCetoa.tab

Put the custom tables in the convtab directory.

Set INTERNAL_CONVERSION_TABLES=NO in the xcom.glb file. Stop and start xcomd to pick up the change to xcom.glb.

If two ASCII machines are communicating, these tables should be present on both machines.

Use the CODETABL parameter to specify a per transfer translation table. The CODETABL parameter specifies the prefix for the custom tables.

For example:
If the table names are

ABCatoe.tab

ABCetoa.tab

then specify CODETABL=ABC

There is no default for the CODETABL parameter.

The file must be a text file.  Binary files are not translated.
VERY IMPORTANT: Translation is done on the ASCII machine.

When sending to an EBCDIC machine from Windows, UNIX or Linux and specifying CODETABL, tables must exist on the sending machine and translation will be done before sending.

When sending to Windows, UNIX or Linux from Windows, UNIX or Linux, no translation is normally done. If you specify CODETABL when sending a transfer and CODE_FLAG=EBCDIC, this will force translation on both sides. The tables must exist on both sides.

When sending from the mainframe to Windows, UNIX or Linux, translation will take place on the receiving Windows, UNIX or Linux. The mainframe supports the CODETABL parameter, but does not do any translation.