Convert String from ASCII to EBCDIC in Java?

Question

I need to write a 'simple' util to convert from ASCII to EBCDIC?

The Ascii is coming from Java, Web and going to an AS400. I've had a google around, can't seem to find a easy solution (maybe coz there isn't one :( ). I was hoping for an opensource util or paid for util that has already been written.

Like this maybe?

Converter.convertToAscii(String textFromAS400)
Converter.convertToEBCDIC(String textFromJava)

Thanks,

Scott

Solution 1

JTOpen, IBM's open source version of their Java toolbox has a collection of classes to access AS/400 objects, including a FileReader and FileWriter to access native AS400 text files. That may be easier to use then writing your own conversion classes.

From the JTOpen homepage:

Here are just a few of the many i5/OS and OS/400 resources you can access using JTOpen:

• Database -- JDBC (SQL) and record-level access (DDM)
• Integrated File System
• Program calls
• Commands
• Data queues
• Data areas
• Print/spool resources
• Product and PTF information
• Jobs and job logs
• Messages, message queues, message files
• Users and groups
• User spaces
• System values
• System status

Solution 2

Please note that a String in Java holds text in Java's native encoding. When holding an ASCII or EBCDIC "string" in memory, prior to encoding as a String, you'll have it in a byte[].

ASCII -> Java:   new String(bytes, "ASCII")
EBCDIC -> Java:  new String(bytes, "Cp1047")
Java -> ASCII:   string.getBytes("ASCII")
Java -> EBCDIC:  string.getBytes("Cp1047")

Solution 3

You should use either the Java character set Cp1047 (Java 5) or Cp500 (JDK 1.3+).

Use the String constructor: String(byte[] bytes, [int offset, int length,] String enc)

Solution 4

package javaapplication1;

import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
import java.nio.CharBuffer;

import java.nio.charset.CharacterCodingException;

import java.nio.charset.Charset;

import java.nio.charset.CharsetDecoder;

import java.nio.charset.CharsetEncoder;

public class ConvertBetweenCharacterSetEncodingsWithCharBuffer {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

       //String cadena = "@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ñâæÃÈÄóöó@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ÔÁâãÅÙÃÁÙÄ@ÄÅÂÉã@âæÉãÃÈ@@@@@@@@";
        String cadena = "ñâæÃÈÄóöó";
        System.out.println(Convert(cadena,"CP1047","ISO-8859-1"));
        cadena = "1SWCHD363";
        System.out.println(Convert(cadena,"ISO-8859-1","CP1047"));

    }

    public static String Convert (String strToConvert,String in, String out){
       try {

        Charset charset_in = Charset.forName(out);
        Charset charset_out = Charset.forName(in);

        CharsetDecoder decoder = charset_out.newDecoder();

        CharsetEncoder encoder = charset_in.newEncoder();

        CharBuffer uCharBuffer = CharBuffer.wrap(strToConvert);

        ByteBuffer bbuf = encoder.encode(uCharBuffer);

        CharBuffer cbuf = decoder.decode(bbuf);

        String s = cbuf.toString();

        //System.out.println("Original String is: " + s);
        return s;

    } catch (CharacterCodingException e) {

        //System.out.println("Character Coding Error: " + e.getMessage());
        return "";

    }


}

}

Solution 5

You can create one yoursef with this translation table.

But here is a site that has a link to a Java example.

View more solutions

Comments

[Petr Prazak]

We are using the JTopen tool box and it is doing some of the convertion/mapping, it's just it seems to incorrectly map £,$,[ and ^

[matbrgz]

Sounds like your AS/400 is incorrectly configured regarding its native tongue. If it is set up correctly jt400.jar will not require any other tweaking.

[matbrgz]

There are many EBCDIC code tables. It is very tedious to get right manually.

[Mike Wills]

Yes, the conversion should happen basically automatically. If it isn't, something isn't setup right.

[Bill the Lizard]

The second link is dead. Do you know where it went? Can you post the example here?

[zaid hussian]

The Java character sets that start with "CP" refer to IBM CCSIDs. Some documentation of these can be found at www-03.ibm.com/systems/i/software/globalization/ccsid_list.h‌​tml and www-03.ibm.com/systems/i/software/globalization/codepages.ht‌​ml CP1047 appears to refer to 01047, "Latin 1/Open Systems".

[Markus W Mahlberg]

Welcome to SO! Explaining your solution is not required, but considers good practice, with the nice side effects that people learn to understand and hence upvote your answer. ;)

[some_coder]

@AlanKrueger as of today these links are dead. Thats really too bad.

[VJ.]

@some_coder - new link is www-01.ibm.com/software/globalization/cp/cp_cpgid.html

[Dominique Fortin]

You forgot Cp037 (we have that one). You should suggest that the person verifies what characterset is being used.

[Pryftan]

@BilltheLizard web.archive.org/web/20080112153232/https://reply42.com/…. Maybe I should edit the answer but...

[Bill the Lizard]

Web Archive links are fine if the original is no longer online. I'd go ahead and edit the answer. Also, you could have waited until Nov 8 to reply back on the 10th anniversary of my comment. ;p