HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Operation
N7MF8CNV prompts you for language and file type (text or data). For each
data file, you enter the starting position and length of each field
(portion of a record) to be converted. For a text file, each record is
converted as one field.
The user is prompted for the name of each file to be converted. Files
are read one record at a time; each record is converted (or certain
fields of it are converted for data files), and the result is written to
a new temporary file. When all records have been read, converted, and
written to the new file, the old (unconverted) copy is deleted, and the
new one saved in its place. An exception to this is KSAM files, which
are converted in place, rather than written to a new temporary file.
A count of the number of records read and converted is displayed on
$STDLIST.
This utility will not convert files containing bytes with the eighth bit
set. This situation probably indicates a misunderstanding or error. The
likely causes are:
* File is not a text or data file.
* File is a data file where the fields have been inaccurately
located.
* File was created on a terminal configured for 8-bit operation.
* File has already been converted.
The maximum record length supported is 8192 bytes. The maximum number of
fields supported in the records of a data file is 256.
If the file being converted contains user labels, these are copied to the
new file without conversion. If a fatal error is encountered during the
conversion (for example, 8-bit data or file system error found) the
conversion stops, the old copy of the file is saved (with the data
unchanged), and the new copy is purged.
An exception to this practise occurs with KSAM files. Since these are
converted in place, some records may already have been modified. KSAM
files (including key file) should be restored from the backup tape to
ensure a consistent copy.
A CTRL Y entered during conversion displays the number of records
successfully converted, and conversion continues. On variable length
data files, if a field or portion of a field is beyond the length of the
record just read, a warning is displayed and that field is not converted
on that record. Other fields on the same record are converted, and
processing continues with subsequent records. After each file has been
converted, the user is prompted for another file name.
In addition to the text and data options, there is a test conversion
option which shows how the conversion algorithm operates. The test
conversion option must be run from a terminal configured for 7-bit
operation with the chosen national substitution set. The user is
instructed to enter a string, and the result of the conversion is
displayed. The user does not have to switch back and forth between 7-bit
and 8-bit operation to see the result. Each character converted is
displayed as a decimal value in parentheses rather than graphically.
Other characters are displayed unchanged.
At any point in the program, a Return exits the current program level. A
Return in response to a request for the starting position and length of a
field in a data file indicates that the definition of fields is complete,
and the program proceeds with the conversion of the data file. A Return
entered in response to a request for a text file name indicates the
conversion of text files is complete; the program goes back to the
question: "Type of file to be converted?".