Transferring Data to DIF Files
When creating a DIF file, system data changes as follows:
- Hexadecimal fields change to equivalent ASCII characters for each half-byte. Double quotation marks surround them.
- EBCDIC character, date, time, and time-stamp data changes byte by byte and is mapped into ASCII characters as defined by the translation tables. ASCII double quotation marks are added before and after the character string.
- Binary fields change to ASCII numeric. Leading zeros to the left of the decimal point, and trailing zeros to the right of the decimal point, are removed.
- Zoned decimal fields change to ASCII numeric. Leading zeros to
the left of the decimal point, and trailing zeros to the right of
the decimal point, are removed.
For example, EBCDIC F0F0F9F5F2D6 with a field length that indicates two digits to the right of the decimal point expands to ASCII 2D39352E3236. When displayed or printed, the string appears as -95.26.
- Packed decimal fields change to ASCII numeric. Leading zeros to
the left of the decimal point, and trailing zeros to the right of
the decimal point, are removed.
For example, X'871D' (no decimal point) changes to ASCII 2D383731. When displayed or printed, the string appears as -871.
- If untranslatable data is found, the entire field becomes an error cell. An error cell results when untranslatable data is found when a DIF file is created or when a not valid calculation is done using the DIF file with a spreadsheet program.