Creating a conversion image for z/OS Debugger

You might need to create a conversion image so that z/OS® Debugger can properly transmit characters in a code page other than 037 between the remote debugger and the host. A conversion image contains the following information:

  • The conversion table that specifies the source CCSID (Coded Character Set Identifiers) and target CCSID. For z/OS Debugger, specify a pair of conversion images between the host code page and Unicode code page (UTF-8). You can specify the host code page in the CODEPAGE command in the EQAOPTS data set. The following table shows the images required for CCSIDs 930, 939 (Japanese EBCDIC), 933 (Korean EBCDIC), 1141 (Germany EBCDIC), and 1047 (Latin 1/Open Systems, EBCDIC).
    Table 1. Source and target CCSID to specify, depending on the code page command used
    CODEPAGE command Source CCSID Target CCSID
    CODEPAGE,930 13901 1208 (UTF-8)
    1208 13901
    CODEPAGE,939 13991 1208 (UTF-8)
    1208 13991
    CODEPAGE,933 933 1208 (UTF-8)
    1208 933
    CODEPAGE,1141 1141 1208 (UTF-8)
    1208 1141
    CODEPAGE,1047 1047 1208 (UTF-8)
    1208 1047
    Note:
    1. For compatibility with earlier versions, 1390 and 1399 are used.
    For each suboption, a pair of conversion images are needed for bidirectional conversion.
  • The conversion technique, also called the technique search order. z/OS Debugger uses the technique search order RECLM, which means roundtrip, enforced subset, customized, Language Environment-behavior, and modified language. RECLM is the default technique search order, so you do not have to specify the technique search order in the JCL.

You might need to create a conversion image so that users debugging COBOL programs in full screen or batch mode can modify NATIONAL or UTF-8 variables with the STORAGE command or to properly display C/C++ variables that contain characters in a code page other than 037. To create the conversion image, you need to do the following steps:

  1. Ask your system programmer for the host's CCSID.
  2. Submit a JCL job that specifies the conversion image between the host CCSID, which you obtained in step 1, and CCSID 1200 (UTF-16).

Example: JCL for generating conversion images describes how one JCL creates the conversion images for both situations.