Appendix H. Customizing Translation Tables

TIBCO MFT Internet Server is shipped with four ASCII to EBCDIC conversion tables to convert ASCII and EBCDIC characters and vice versa.

By default, the file named Comtblg.dat located at MFTIS_Install\server\webapps\context\translate directory is used by the system.
See the names and brief descriptions of the conversion tables below:
Name Description
Comtblg.classic The comtblg.dat file shipped with versions prior to 7.2.
Comtblg.cp037 Extended ASCII table that is based on IBM Code page 037.
Comtblg.cp1047 Extended ASCII table that is based on IBM Code page 1047.
Comtblg.dat ASCII/EBCIDIC table used by TIBCO MFT Platform Server at run time. Default is copy of Comtblg.cp037.
Comtblg.dat is used by the system. If one of the other conversion tables needs to be used or a customized table has been created, rename the existing Comtblg.dat file and copy the new table to Comtblg.dat.
Note: The default file used for conversion must be named Comtblg.dat.

As mentioned above, these tables can be customized. There are times when the default translation table is not exactly what is needed. An administrator can define a new translation table to be used by TIBCO MFT Internet Server.

The example below will alter the text JSY contained in a file to read CAT on the remote z/OS system.

Procedure

  1. Create a customized translation table.
    1. From the directory MFTIS_Install/server/webapps/context/translate, make a copy of the Comtblg.cp037 file.
    2. Paste the Comtblg.cp037 copy into an empty directory on the TIBCO MFT Internet Server web server, and rename it Comtblg.dat.
      This file contains the table below which converts data between the ASCII and EBCDIC and EBCDIC to ASCII character sets:

      To make better sense of the table above, place it in an Excel spreadsheet below for demonstration purposes only:

    3. To convert from an ASCII system (Windows) to an EBCDIC system (z/OS), you will be looking up the EBCDIC character for each ASCII character and replacing it with the EBCDIC character you want. Then save this file.
      The ASCII value for J is 4A, so you will go to the chart above and locate 4 going down and slide your finger to the right until you are in the A column. You will see the EBCDIC value D1 for J. You want this to translate to a C, so you will replace the D1 with C3 which is the EBCDIC value for C.
      Do the same to have S translated to A and Y to T.
  2. Replace the existing Comtblg.dat.
    From the directory MFTIS_Install/server/webapps/context/translate, rename the existing Comtblg.dat file to org.Comtblg.dat. Now copy and paste the new Comtblg.dat file that was customized in Step 1 into this folder.
    This file will now be your default conversion table used by the system.