Nlynx ETU400 - Manual (Page 54)

ETU400 User Guide 011603 4-8
Using Translation Tables
ASCII and EBCDIC are standard character sets. When you transfer a file
between a microcomputer and the host, the file must be translated from
one character set to the other. (Unless, that is, you are only storing
the file and not planning to manipulate or use the file in any way on the
other system. In that case, you can transfer files without any
translation taking place by specifying *NONE as the value for the
TRANSLATE parameter.)
When you translate a file, you must specify a translation table. The
translation table tells ETU whether
• the file is being transferred from the host to the micro, or from the
micro to the host;
• the file has a fixed- or variable-length record;
• the file is a print file or a data file;
• the micro involved is a DOS-based PC or a Mac.
ETU comes with seven translation tables; four for PC-DOS translations and
three for Mac translations. The translation tables are actually members
within two files. All translation tables, for both PC-DOS and Mac, are
stored in the file TRANSLATE. For convenience, the Mac members alone
reside in the file MACTAB. The member names are described below.
When translating a file, specify the translation table member that is
appropriate for your situation. For example, if you are translating a
file from a Mac to the host, use translation table ATOE1 in file MACTAB.
For PC to host translations, use the translation table ATOE1 in file
TRANSLATE.
To specify a translation table, enter the appropriate translation file
name (either TRANSLATE or MACTAB) and the translation member name (for
example, ETOA1) at the TRANSFILE prompt.
If these standard tables do not meet the needs of a specific application,
you may change them. For more information about creating and modifying
translation tables, see Chapter 8.