Title: Unicode Flat File

Abstract: In PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne 8.9 the conversion to Unicode uses flat text files to communicate between PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne and other Systems. This document discusses this new functionality.

Overview

Starting with PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne 8.9 all data will now be represented with Unicode. Unicode, in the simplest terms, is a character set that supports all written languages. Computers today can only support one character set at a time, but Unicode allows all languages to co-exist in a single instance of software. In the past, without Unicode, multiple software instances were required to support multiple languages.

Processing

A conversion may be necessary when reading and writing flat files. This is due to the fact that while PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne 8.9 is capable of handling Unicode file the correct character set must still be defined. This enhancementto add application P93081 that provides a mechanism to control this conversion to allow the reading and writing of flat files in a given character set as defined in P93081. Due to the fact that PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne uses Unicode and not all third-party software does, there is a process handled though an API that will determine if an inbound or outbound flat will need to have the character set changed. During this process the software converts the flat file into the Unicode character set or back into the original character set. In the jdeCallObject API there is a parameter called LpBhvrCom that contains information to query the Unicode Flat File Encoding Configuration table (F93081) for the flat file encoding. This table is populated and configured by the Unicode Flat File Encoding Configuration program (P93081).You can assign the conversion character set applied to a flat file based on the user or role, the program ID, program version and the environment. This can be done by activating a flat file encoding record.

P93081 - Unicode Flat File Encoding Configuration

Using the Unicode Flat File Configuration -P93081, you create records for a table that specifies what character sets are used for programs based on the user or role, program ID, program version, and the environment. When the intercepting occurs the intercept program calls the table, searches it and applies the record.

The primary users for Unicode Flat File Encoding Configuration are power users and system administrators.

Before setting up a flat file encoding record you need to know the encoding of the flat file being transferred. You also need to know the user or role, program, program version, and environment that is calling the flat file. To ensure that all files are encoded to your primary character set set up a default flat file encoding record for your primary character set and then any exceptions. The system applies the more specific records before the more general records. The default record is only used if no other records apply to the incoming flat file. If you do not add and activate a flat file encoding record, the default record is UCS2, UTF16_BE/UTF16_LS, which is a Unicode character set. The following list shows the character set currently supported and they can be found in UDC H95/FE

  • BIG5 Chinese, Traditional
  • CP1250 WIN-Latin2, Central Europe
  • CP1251 WIN-Cyrillic
  • CP1252 WIN-Latin 1, Western European
  • CP1253 WIN-Greek
  • CP1254 WIN-Latin5, Turkish
  • CP1256 WIN-Arabic
  • GB2312 Chinese, Simplified
  • IBM-1123 EBCDIC-Cyrillic
  • IBM-37 EBCDIC-Latin 1 or Western Euro
  • IBM-420 EBCDIC-Arabic
  • IBM-858 # PC latin1 with Euro
  • IBM-933 EBCDIC-Korean
  • IBM-935 EBCDIC-Simplified Chinese
  • IBM-937 EBCDIC-Traditional Chinese
  • IBM-939 EBCDIC-Japanese
  • KSC-5601 Korean
  • SHIFT_JIS WIN-Japanese
  • UCS2 UTF16_BE/UTF16_LE
  • UTF-16BE UTF16_BE
  • UTF-16LE UTF16_LE
  • UTF8 UTF8
Defining a Character Set

In order to define a character set that is applied to a flat file during the intercept process you need to add a flat file encoding record. You can add flat file encoding file based on the user, the user's role, program ID, Program version and environment.

After you add the flat file encoding record you must activate it.

From the System Administration Tools task view choose Unicode Flat File Encoding Configuration (P93081)

  1. On Work With Flat File Encoding form, click Add
  2. On Flat File Encoding Revisions form, complete the following fields and then click the OK button:

1. User/Role

The default user/role is *PUBLIC, which includes all users. By specifying a user or role, you can limit flat file encoding to only programs running under that user or role.

2. Environment

The default environment is *ALL which applies the character set encoding to all environments. By specifying an environment you can limit the flat file encoding to only programs under that environment.

3. Program ID

The program ID identifies the batch or interactive application to which to apply the flat file encoding. The default value is *DEFAULT which applies flat file encoding to all programs.

4. Version

A version is a set of user defined specifications that determines how a batch or interactive application runs. A program version identifies the batch or interactive application version to which to apply the flat file encoding. The default version is *DEFAULT which applies the flat file encoding file to all versions.

5. Encoding Name

The encoding name identifies the character set used by the incoming or outgoing flat file. You must specify an encoding name.

After adding the flat file encoding record you must activate it before it will be applied to incoming and outgoing flat files.

To activate and deactivate the flat file encoding file:

1. On the Work With Flat File Encoding form, click Find to display the flat file encoding files.

2. Highlight the flat file encoding file to activate or deactivate.

3. From the Row menu, choose Change Status.

The status of the flat file encoding becomes active (AV) or inactive (NA).

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