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Status Future consideration
Workspace COBOL Compilers
Categories z/OS
Created by Guest
Created on Jan 2, 2026

RELATED IDEAS

Allow UTF-8 (PIC U) and NATIONAL (PIC N) group and elementary items to MOVE to PIC X alphanumeric group and elementary items with automatic character set translation

Currently Enterprise COBOL allows PIC X alphanumeric EBCDIC group and elementary items to MOVE to UTF-8 (PIC U) and NATIONAL (PIC N) group and elementary items with automatic character set translation, but the reverse MOVE is not allowed.  There is no technical reason why the reverse MOVE should not be allowed, since the character set translation logic is already in place for a PIC X MOVE into PIC U and PIC N.  Any loss of characters which are "untranslatable" when going from UTF-8 or NATIONAL into PIC X alphanumeric EBCDIC can be solved by moving a SUB character instead of the "untranslatable" character.  Translation to PIC X alphanumeric EBCDIC translation should use the CCSID specified in the compiler option CODEPAGE as the EBCDIC CCSID into which characters should be translated from UTF-8 and NATIONAL source items.  Alternatively, a new MOVE statement option (e.g., "MOVE A to B WITH CCSID (numeric CCSID literal or elementary item)" where A is defined with PIC U or PIC N and B is defined with PIC X) to specify the CCSID to be used for the translation would be acceptable.

Idea priority Medium
  • Admin
    Basil Kanneth
    Feb 4, 2026

    This idea is being accepted and will be further updated once put into plan.

    Reply
  • Admin
    Basil Kanneth
    Jan 23, 2026

    This idea is being investigated further and requires more time.

    Reply

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