LFS Support for the Euro

While data in workstation files kept in the LFS dataspaces is not a problem, the names of those files must be translated from ASCII to EBCDIC (and back). Translate tables do not currently exist that support the euro symbol. This APAR provides support to translate between host code pages 1140-1149 and workstation code page 858 (see Note 1 below).

This APAR replaces the following entries in the code page translate tables dataset:

Member Translation currently provided by member
SB850037 Host 037 <--> Workstation 850
SB850273 Host 273 <--> Workstation 850
SB850277 Host 277 <--> Workstation 850
SB850278 Host 278 <--> Workstation 850
SB850280 Host 280 <--> Workstation 850
SB850284 Host 284 <--> Workstation 850
SB850285 Host 285 <--> Workstation 850
SB850297 Host 297 <--> Workstation 850
SB850500 Host 500 <--> Workstation 850
SB850871 Host 851 <--> Workstation 850

Note that the APAR replaces entries in the dataset. It does not add additional entries. After application of this APAR, the members replaced do the following:

Member Translation currently provided by member
SB850037 Host 1140 <--> Workstation 858
SB850273 Host 1141 <--> Workstation 858
SB850277 Host 1142 <--> Workstation 858
SB850278 Host 1143 <--> Workstation 858
SB850280 Host 1144 <--> Workstation 858
SB850284 Host 1145 <--> Workstation 858
SB850285 Host 1146 <--> Workstation 858
SB850297 Host 1147 <--> Workstation 858
SB850500 Host 1148 <--> Workstation 858
SB850871 Host 1149 <--> Workstation 858

This is reasonable because code page 858 replaces code page 850, code page 1140 replaces code page 037, code page 1141 replaces code page 273, and so on.

On the CODEPAGE statement in the LFS CONFIG file, the correct member name must be provided. For example, (after applying the fix) to translate between host code page 1145 and workstation code page 858, one would use the following CODEPAGE statement in the LFS CONFIG file: 

   CODEPAGE SB850284

Notes:

  1. Code page 858 has been registered as identical to code page 850 except for the replacement of LI61 (dotless i) at code point D5 by SC20 (euro symbol). OS/2 expects to support the new code page 858, but without using the new identifier. In other words, applications running OS/2 (and consequently LFS administrators) will have to recognize that "code page 850" may mean CP 00850, or may mean CP 00858. (If necessary, it will be up to the application -- and at times the LFS administrator -- to determine which code page, 850 or 858, is really being used.)

  2. Remember the implications of this APAR replacing entries in the code table translation dataset. The corresponding pre-euro translations are lost.

  3. LFS allows for the specification of many names: fepnames, exportnames, labels mountpoints, netnames, nfspath, and so on. Use of the euro symbol in any of these names is allowed ONLY if not prohibited by current documentation. For example:
    • If existing LFS documentation says a name can consist of only the alphabetic characters A-Z or national # $ @, then the euro symbol could not be used in that name.
    • If existing LFS documentation says a name can consist of any character except a backslash, then the euro symbol could be used in that name.
    Care must be taken. And if a workstation operating system or application cannot support a euro symbol in a file name, then avoid its usage.

  4. The workstation operating system and the OS/390 host must be running with whatever code pages are designated (or implied) in the LFS CONFIG file.

  5. No support is provided for using the euro symbol in a file name when using the following code pages which also support the euro: 923, 924, and 1250-1258.