> On Jan 13, 2016, at 10:56 PM, Paul Gilmartin > <0000000433f07816-dmarc-requ...@listserv.ua.edu> wrote: > > But does mere mention of OPTCD=Q mean its use is restricted to tapes? > Might not it apply to other device types? (It's hard to prove a negative) > But if it's so restricted it's another instance of IBM's implementing a > useful facility at the wrong layer. ASCII<->EBCDIC conversion is surely > useful on other device types.
The JCL Reference manual says for OPTCD=Q: indicates that all the user data in the data set is in ASCII. BSAM or QSAM converts the records from ASCII to EBCDIC when reading and converts the records from EBCDIC to ASCII when writing. The data set must reside on magnetic tape and must not contain IBM standard labels. The record format (RECFM) must not be V but can be D. If the label type is ISO/ANSI/FIPS, specified as LABEL=(,AL), the system forces OPTCD=Q. > > Is this software in the OS or microcode in the control unit? I’m pretty sure it’s in the BSAM/QSAM access method routines. > > And what about CCSID. According to the documentation, this: In the JCL manual under CCSID, it says: Data conversion is supported on access to ISO/ANSI Version 4 tapes using access methods BSAM or QSAM, but not using EXCP. Bottom line, I think it’s pretty clearly documented that BSAM/QSAM supports character set conversion, but only when tape is involved. I agree that that’s a pretty ridiculous restriction. -- Pew, Curtis G curtis....@austin.utexas.edu ITS Systems/Core/Administrative Services ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
