By default, when a character reference which cannot be represented in the current code page is encountered, the z/OS XML parser places a dash (“-“) in the output stream for that character. The caller may use the XEC_CTL_ENTS_AND_REFS control call to specify that a different character appear in the output stream. The caller may also request by way of this control call that an additional output record be placed in the output stream with more information on the character reference.