a toughy!

Hey all,
I have a bunch of data files that currently come to my shop in an EBCDIC format from IBM midrange machines and I currently use a Borland application to convert them to ASCII. I would like to ditch the Borland piece and do everything with a DTS package and get the data into my SQL2000 server...but how do I convert the EBCDIC to ASCII?

Please help!there are more ways and everything depends on how often you do it, how big files you have, how automated process you want...

I can tell you that the best is Informatica PowerCenter... for $200,000

I'm just kidding :)

you can use command-line conversion tool or ActiveX or your own function.

You can have your own function and use it in FIELD to FIELD mapping in DTS. The problem is, that it will take lot of time and for larger TXT files it is not the best solution.... Better would be to convert text file from EBCDIC to ASCII. There are some free command line programs ActiveX components (text file conversions). Check Google.com

I'd start with small function and you will see if it is really slooooow.

http://www.crystalsoftware.com.au/textpipe.html
http://www.guysoftware.com/parserat.htm

jiri|||Thanks, but I was really hoping to get my hands on some source so I could see how this works. I am not to keen about buying a 3rd party tool from a small developer because it will lead to a support nightmare 3 years down the road.

Has anyone out there tackled this ground up? I would love to see some source, even if its slow...heck I'd even be willing to taske a crack at some Perl.
-d

Originally posted by playernovis
there are more ways and everything depends on how often you do it, how big files you have, how automated process you want...

I can tell you that the best is Informatica PowerCenter... for $200,000

I'm just kidding :)

you can use command-line conversion tool or ActiveX or your own function.

You can have your own function and use it in FIELD to FIELD mapping in DTS. The problem is, that it will take lot of time and for larger TXT files it is not the best solution.... Better would be to convert text file from EBCDIC to ASCII. There are some free command line programs ActiveX components (text file conversions). Check Google.com

I'd start with small function and you will see if it is really slooooow.

http://www.crystalsoftware.com.au/textpipe.html
http://www.guysoftware.com/parserat.htm

jiri