Mainframe EBCDIC Data Converter to ASCII

Description

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

Features

• 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.

Pip Usage

Installation

pip install ebcdic_parser

Sample

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)

Run Function

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)

• 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

python -m ebcdic_parser Usage

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%

Arguments

[-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]]

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

Java Encodings

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.

Release Notes

Release 3.4.0

• 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.

Release 3.3.0

• Return output to default device after completion.
• Modified run() to pass returnCode to main() and as the final exit code.

Release 3.2.2

• Automate version management.
• Add CHANGES.md documentation.

Release 3.2.1

• Added dedicated PyPI README file.
• Refined documentation.

Release 3.2.0

• Provide a command-line interface for ebcdic_parser package running via python -m ebcdic_parser.

Release 3.1.0

• Fixed relative path parameters in command prompt mode.
• Refined documentation.

Release 3.0.0

• Added to PyPI.

Release 2.4.1

• Fixed issue with "Multi-schema fixed record length" layout type.

Release 2.4.0

• Added "Single schema variable record length" layout type.

Release 2.3.0

• Implemented debug mode.

Release 2.1.1

• Improved sign parsing in packedDecimal data type.
• Added sign parsing to decimal data type.
• Developed functional tests.

Release 2.1.0

• The first public available release.