In C-language, bit strings are often used to convey flags, switch settings, and so on; TCP/IP makes frequent uses of bit strings. However, since bit strings are difficult to decode in COBOL, TCP⁄IP includes the following information:

• EZACIC06 translates bit-masks into character arrays and character arrays into bit-masks.
• EZACIC08 interprets the variable length address list in the HOSTENT structure returned by GETHOSTBYNAME or GETHOSTBYADDR.
• EZACIC09 interprets the ADDRINFO structure returned by GETADDRINFO.