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CODE_SYSTEM*

The runtime configuration variable CODE_SYSTEM tells the runtime if double-byte character data is being accepted or displayed, and which code system (that is, which standard for encoding Japanese and other Asian character sets, for example) is being used. Each code system has a range of values that it allows within each byte of a two-byte character, so identifying the code system allows the runtime to recognize character boundaries when it is processing double-byte data for ACCEPT and DISPLAY statements.

Setting CODE_SYSTEM to the proper value allows your COBOL applications to handle input and display of double-byte character data without source program changes. The syntax is:

CODE_SYSTEM  setting

The table below shows the possible settings of the CODE_SYSTEM variable, the code system to which each setting refers, and some examples of operating systems to which the particular code system applies:

Setting
Code System
Op. System Examples
BIG5
Big Five (Taiwan)
Chinese DOS, Windows

DBC
Acucorp Generic Double-byte Coding Scheme

other double-byte machines
EUC
Extended UNIX
Most UNIX machines

GB
Code of Chinese Graphic Character Set (People's Republic of China)

Chinese DOS, Windows
KSC
Korean Character Standard
Korean DOS

SJC
Shift JIS Code (Japanese Industrial Standard)
DOS/V, Windows, some UNIX machines

The default "0" means ASCII or EBCDIC single-byte characters.

The following table shows the decimal values that the respective code systems allow for each byte of the two-byte character:

Code System Setting
1st byte
2nd byte
BIG5
(second format)
161 - 254
161 - 254
64 - 126
161 - 254

DBC
128 - 255
128 - 255

EUC
(second format)
142
161 - 254
161 - 223
161 - 254

GB and KSC
161- 254
161 - 254

SJC
(second format)
129 - 159
224 - 239
64 - 252 (not 127)
64 - 252 (not 127)

Note that the first and second byte values are co-dependent; that is, both values must fall within the respective ranges shown in the table. If either value is not within its allowable range, then each byte will be treated as a single character.