SYSSTRINGS catalog table

The SYSSTRINGS table contains information about character conversion. Each row describes a conversion from one coded character set to another. The schema is SYSIBM.

Also refer to Building and using Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) for information on the additional conversions that are supported.

Each row in the table must have a unique combination of values for its INCCSID, OUTCCSID, and IBMREQD columns. Rows for which the value of IBMREQD is N can be deleted, inserted, and updated subject to this uniqueness constraint and to the constraints imposed by a VALIDPROC defined on the table. An inserted row could have values for the INCCSID and OUTCCSID columns that match those of a row for which the value of IBMREQD is Y. Db2 then uses the information in the inserted row instead of the information in the IBM®-supplied row. Rows for which the value of IBMREQD is Y cannot be deleted, inserted, or updated. For information about the use of inserted rows for character conversion, see How an entry in SYSIBM.SYSSTRINGS works with character conversion.

Db2 has two methods for character conversions and applies them in the following order:

  1. Conversions specified by the various combinations of the INCCSID and OUTCCSID columns in the SYSIBM.SYSSTRINGS catalog table.
  2. Conversions provided by z/OS® support for Unicode. For more information, see z/OS Unicode Services User’s Guide and Reference.

If neither of these methods can be used for a particular character conversion, Db2 returns an error.

Table 1. SYSIBM.SYSSTRINGS table column descriptions
Column name Data type Description Use
INCCSID
INTEGER
NOT NULL
 The source CCSID for the character conversion represented by this row. The value of the source CCSID must be in the range of 1 to 65533 and must not be the same as the value for the OUTCCSID column. G
OUTCCSID
INTEGER
NOT NULL
 The target CCSID for the character conversion represented by this row. The value of the target CCSID must be in the range of 1 to 65533 and must not be the same as the value for the INCCSID column. G
TRANSTYPE
CHAR(2)
NOT NULL
 Indicates the nature of the conversion. Values can be:
GG
GRAPHIC to GRAPHIC
MM
EBCDIC MIXED to EBCDIC MIXED
MS
EBCDIC MIXED to SBCS
PM
ASCII MIXED to EBCDIC MIXED
PS
ASCII MIXED to SBCS
SM
SBCS to EBCDIC MIXED
SS
SBCS to SBCS
MP
EBCDIC MIXED to ASCII MIXED
PP
ASCII MIXED to ASCII MIXED
SP
SBCS to ASCII MIXED
 G
ERRORBYTE
CHAR(1)
FOR BIT DATA
(Nulls are allowed)
 The byte used in the conversion table as an error byte. Any non-null value that is specified for the ERRORBYTE column must not be the same as the value that is specified for the SUBBYTE column.

Null indicates the absence of an error byte.

 S
SUBBYTE
CHAR(1)
FOR BIT DATA
(Nulls are allowed)
 The byte used in the conversion table as a substitution character. Any non-null value that is specified for the SUBBYTE column must not be the same as the value that is specified for the ERRORBYTE column.

Null indicates the absence of a substitution character.

 S
TRANSPROC
VARCHAR(24)
NOT NULL WITH
DEFAULT
 The name of a module or blanks. A nonblank value must conform to the rules for z/OS program names.

If IBMREQD is 'N', a nonblank value is the name of a conversion procedure provided by the user. The first five characters of the name of a user-provided conversion procedure must not be 'DSNXV'; these characters are used to distinguish user-provided conversion procedures from Db2 modules that contain DBCS conversion tables.

If IBMREQD is 'Y', a nonblank value is the name of a Db2 module that contains DBCS conversion tables.

 G
IBMREQD
CHAR(1)
NOT NULL
 A value of Y indicates that the row was provided with the Db2 product code. For all other values, see Release dependency indicators.

The value in this field is not a reliable indicator of release dependencies.

 G
TRANSTAB
VARCHAR(256)
FOR BIT DATA
NOT NULL WITH
DEFAULT
 Either a 256-byte conversion table or an empty (0 length) string. S