• All existing alpha fields will have a default single-byte encoding type of RAW.
• DD length is the number of 8-bit bytes that the field can store.
• Internal format in the engine is 8-bit bytes.
• May contain binary data.
• May contain 8-bit characters (uses 8859-15 encoding when interpreted as character data).
• Stored in APPXIO records as 8-bit bytes.
• No transcoding is performed when reading/writing a RAW field in APPXIO.

UNICODE Encoding:

• DD length is the number of 4-byte UTF-32 characters that the field can store.
• Internal format in the engine is UTF-32 (4 bytes per character).
• Used to store Unicode characters in a UTF-32 encoding.
• Stored in APPXIO as 4-byte UTF-32 characters.
• No transcoding is performed when reading/writing a UNICODE field in APPXIO.

NATIONAL Encoding:

• DD length is the number of 8-bit characters that the field can store.
• Internal format in the engine is UTF-32 (4 bytes per character).
• Used to store Unicode characters using a specified 8-bit encoding method.
• The encoding method is specified in System Admin (SYSPARM, SYSDFLT, and SYSDIR).
• Stored in APPXIO records as 1-byte characters.
• Transcoding of characters is performed to/from the internal UTF-32 format when reading/writing an NATIONAL field in APPXIO.

APPX Data Dictionary Considerations:

• The field length represents the number of characters that can be stored in the alpha field

PDF Fields That Are Now UNICODE:

• All TEMP fields are now Unicode.
• --- COMPARE CURRENT VALUE
• --- COMPARE OTHER VALUE
• --- STD REPORT TITLE
• --- STD SEP CHAR
• --- STD PAGE HEADING
• --- STD COLUMN HEADING
• --- STD SEPARATOR HEADING
• --- STD DATE
• --- STD PAGE DESC

FMS Considerations: (initial implementation is for Appx-IO and Oracle only)

• Appx-IO
  • Supports all 3 Encoding types
  • Transcodes all NATIONAL encoded fields to/from our internal UTF-32 encoding.
• Oracle
  • Transcodes all alpha fields to/from Oracle DB encoding and our UTF-32 encoding
  • File creates should now use
    • Long data types for large fields
    • Appropriate column types for UNICODE and NATIONAL types.

Restructure Considerations:

Client Considerations:

Test Plan:

APPX Data Dictionary Considerations:

• Does the DD allow encoding type for all alpha field types to be specified?
• Does the DD compiler support 1-byte or 4-byte characters in alpha fields?

ILF Statements Effected:

• APPEND
• BEG AT/END AT
• BROWSE
• CALL
• CNV BIN
• CNV PORT – 0DB Export/Import routines
• CNV TEXT – Used throughout 0-Apps
• COMPUTE/TOTAL (hash totals)
• DEFINE/UNDEFINE
• IF/AND/OR
• IF DIFF - Sets fields values into COMPARE file
• PACK/UNPACK
• PASS/RECEIVE/LOCAL/GOSUB
• PRINT - Only used in STD Report Heading routines
  • References WORK fields
  • References --- STD fields
  • Is not used with any TEMP fields
• PUSH/POP
• RUN
• SCAN
• SET
• SET DAY/SET MNTH
• SET TEMP
• STORE/RESTORE
• VERIFY
• WARNING/ERROR/CANCEL/MESSAGE/REFRESH

Process Specific Considerations:

• Does the QUERY processor use correct collating sequence when sorting all UNICODE alpha field types?