A Python application is aimed to convert mainframe EBCDIC data into Unicode ASCII delimited text files.

The converter consists of two parts

1. Engine
2. Engine conversion rules

Conversion rules are a driver to parse EBCDIC data.

• Supported layouts

  1. Single schema
     • Original COBOL layout and corresponding conversion rules file
  2. Multi-schema fixed record length
     • Original COBOL layout and corresponding conversion rules file
  3. Multi-schema variable record length
  4. Single schema variable record length
     • Original COBOL layout and corresponding conversion rules file

• Fixing anomalies in EBCDIC files

  1. Skip header
  2. Skip footer
  3. Remove invalid characters

• Adding relationship keys

  1. parent-child
  2. parent-child-grandchild

• Applicable encodings

  1. Python
  2. Java

• Debug mode to troubleshoot layouts

• Run the tool

  1. Pip package
  2. Command prompt
  3. python -m ebcdic_parser

• Exclude data from final output for a given field based on conditions.

• Remove a delimiter, carriage return and newline characters from final output for string fields.

Detailed information about conversion rules setup file can be found in Engine Rules manual. COBOL Engine Rules Dictionary manual describes how to convert COBOL data types into engine rules layout.

{
    "description": "conversion rules sample",
    "header": [
        {
            "name": "header", "type": "skip", "size": 100
        }
    ],
    "footer": [
        {
            "name": "footer", "type": "skip", "size": 52
        }
    ],
    "layouts": [
        {
            "layouttype": "main",
            "layout": [
                {
                    "name": "employee_name", "type": "string", "size": 55,
                },
                {
                    "name": "employee_type", "type": "string", "size": 1, "flunkif":"c,x,p"
                },
                {
                    "name": "wages", "type": "packedDecimal", "size": 8
                },
                {
                    "name": "employee_id", "type": "integer", "size": 4
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}

pip install ebcdic_parser

from ebcdic_parser.convert import run 

returnCode=run(r"D:\Projects\ebcdic-parser\tests\test_data\311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings\311_calls_for_service_requests_sample.dat", 
               r"D:\Projects\test_project",
               r"D:\Projects\ebcdic-parser\tests\layout_repository\311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings.json",
               outputDelimiter=',',
               logfolder=r'D:\Projects\test_project\log')
               
print(returnCode)

returnCode=run(inputFile, 
               outputFolder,
               layoutFile,
               logfolder='',
               pythonEncoding=True,
               encodingName='cp037',
               outputDelimiter=`\t`,
               outputFileExtension=`.txt`,
               ignoreConversionErrors=False,
               groupRecords=False,
               groupRecordsLevel2=False,
               verbose=True,
               debug=False,
               cliMode=False,
               stripDelimiterValues=False)

• inputfile - input EBCDIC file path. Mandatory parameter. Absolute and relative paths are acceptable.
• outputfolder - output folder to store delimited files. Mandatory parameter. Absolute and relative paths are acceptable.
• layoutfile - layout file path. Mandatory parameter. Absolute and relative paths are acceptable.
• outputdelimiter - output text file delimiter. Optional parameter. Default value is \t.
• outputfileextension - output text file extension. Optional parameter. Default value is .txt.
• ignoreconversionerrors - ignore any conversion error. Optional parameter. Default value is False.
• logfolder - output folder to store log file. Optional parameter. Default value is the current folder. Absolute and relative paths are acceptable.
• pythonencoding - use Python encoding rather than Java. Optional parameter. Default value is True.
• encodingname - code page name to encode characters (Python or Java). Optional parameter. Default value is cp037.
• grouprecords - create relationships between records. Optional parameter. Default value is False.
• grouprecordslevel2 - create relationships between records for level 2. Optional parameter. Default value is False.
• verbose - show extended information on screen. Optional parameter. Default value is True.
• debug - show debug information. Optional parameter. Default value is False.
• cliMode - a flag how it run in command prompt or Pip installation.
• stripDelimiterValues - remove any delimiter (outputdelimiter) and carriage return\newline characters found in string type field values. Optional parameter. Default value is False.
• returnCode - exit codes: 0 - successful completion, 1 - completion with any error

usage: convert.py [-h] --inputfile "input file path" --outputfolder
                        "output folder" --layoutfile "layout file"
                        [--outputdelimiter [delimiter]]
                        [--outputfileextension [extension]]
                        [--ignoreconversionerrors [yes/no]]
                        [--logfolder [log folder]] [--pythonencoding [yes/no]]
                        [--encodingname [encoding name]]
                        [--grouprecords [yes/no]]
                        [--grouprecordslevel2 [yes/no]] [--verbose [yes/no]]
                        [--debug [yes/no]]

Convert EBCDIC data into delimited text format. Version x.x.x

Supported file formats:
(1) Single schema
(2) Multi-schema fixed length
(3) Multi-schema variable length
(4) Single schema variable length

Features
1. Python doesn't include enough code pages, so it's added Java code pages as well.
   Java is implemented in javabridge module. If javabridge module is not installed, 
   Java functionlaity can be disabled changing JAVABRIDGEINCLUDED = True to False in Python code

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --inputfile "input file path"
                        Input EBCDIC file path
  --outputfolder "output folder"
                        Output folder to store delimited files
  --layoutfile "layout file"
                        Layout file path
  --outputdelimiter [delimiter]
                        output text file delimiter
  --outputfileextension [extension]
                        output text file extension
  --ignoreconversionerrors [yes/no]
                        ignore any conversion error
  --logfolder [log folder]
                        Output folder to store log file
  --pythonencoding [yes/no]
                        use Python encoding rather than Java
  --encodingname [encoding name]
                        Code page name to encode characters (Python or Java)
  --grouprecords [yes/no]
                        create relationships between records
  --grouprecordslevel2 [yes/no]
                        create relationships between records for level 2
  --verbose [yes/no]    show information on screen
  --debug [yes/no]      show debug information
  --stripdelimitervalues [yes/no]
                        strip delimiter characters from field values 

Exit codes: 0 - successful completion, 1 - completion with any error

convert.py --inputfile "../../tests/test_data/311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings/311_calls_for_service_requests_sample.dat" --outputfolder "../../tests/test_data/311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings/output" --layoutfile "../../tests/layout_repository/311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings.json" --outputdelimiter ,

echo %ERRORLEVEL%

• Output location: ./tests/test_data/311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings/output
• Outptut format: comma delimited ASCII file
• Log file: ./ebcdic_parser.log

convert.py --inputfile "../../tests/test_data/311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings/311_calls_for_service_requests_sample.dat" --outputfolder "../../tests/test_data/311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings/output" --layoutfile "../../tests/layout_repository/311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings.json" --outputdelimiter , --debug yes

echo %ERRORLEVEL%

• Output location: ./tests/tests/test_data/311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings/output
• Outptut format: comma delimited ASCII file
• Log file: ./ebcdic_parser.log

convert.py --inputfile "../../tests/test_data/pr_p1_p2_gas_disposition/gsf102.ebc" --outputfolder "../../tests/test_data/pr_p1_p2_gas_disposition/output" --layoutfile "../../tests/layout_repository/gsf102_rules.json" --logfolder "../../tests/test_data/pr_p1_p2_gas_disposition/log"

echo %ERRORLEVEL%

• Output location: ./tests/test_data/pr_p1_p2_gas_disposition/output
• Outptut format: tab delimited ASCII file
• Log folder: ./tests/test_data/pr_p1_p2_gas_disposition/log/ebcdic_parser.log

convert.py --inputfile "../../tests/test_data/ola013k/olf001l.ebc" --outputfolder "../../tests/test_data/ola013k/output" --layoutfile "../../tests/layout_repository/ola013k_rules.json"

echo %ERRORLEVEL%

• Output location: ./tests/test_data/ola013k/output
• Outptut format: tab delimited ASCII file
• Log folder: ./ebcdic_parser.log

convert.py --inputfile "../../tests/test_data/service_segment_data/RG197.SERVSEG.Y70.ebc" --outputfolder "../../tests/test_data/service_segment_data/output" --layoutfile "../../tests/layout_repository/service_segment_data.json"

echo %ERRORLEVEL%

• Output location: ./tests/test_data/service_segment_data/output
• Outptut format: tab delimited ASCII file
• Log folder: ./ebcdic_parser.log

python -m ebcdic_parser --inputfile "D:\Projects\ebcdic-parser\tests\test_data\311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings\311_calls_for_service_requests_sample.dat" --outputfolder "D:\Projects\test_project" --layoutfile "D:\Projects\ebcdic-parser\tests\layout_repository\311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings.json"  --outputdelimiter "," --logfolder "D:\Projects\test_project\log"

echo %ERRORLEVEL%

Those tests cover testing of each data type.

test_functional.py

The tests are needed to test entire functionality for each feature.

• Tool to create samples

converter_to_ebcdic.py

• Run tests

test_system_311_calls_for_service_requests_all_strings.py

It doesn't request any special installation if you are planning to use only Python encodings.

In case of using Java encodings, it has to be installed javabridge Python library. There is a constant in the code for including the javabridge library.

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for details on our code of conduct, and the process for submitting pull requests to us.

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details

• Thank you, javabridge team, for development and prompt support of the library
• https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/ssw_ibm_i_72/rzasd/dtdf.htm
• http://www.mainframestechhelp.com/tutorials/cobol/
• http://www.fileformat.info/
• City Toronto Open Data
• Reading COBOL Layouts