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Fujitsu Data Converter for Windows

The following sequence of screen captures lets you see the features of Data Converter at work.

Conversion Wizard
Layout Definition
Conversion Wizard Steps 3 and 4
Conversion Summary
Conversion Preview

Conversion Wizard

The Data Converter provides a conversion wizard that guides you through the information required to convert files from one format to another. In the wizard you define:

  • Type of file conversion (data format or character conversion).
  • Default folder, so that the conversion uses relative pathnames for all the files.
  • Record layout, using the Layout Definition tool.
  • Input file attributes such as filename, code system (ASCII/EBCDIC), organization, and fixed or variable length.
  • Output file attributes.
  • Other conversion configuration information such as a file for error messages and the maximum number of errors before the conversion should be aborted.

Conversion Wizard Step 1

The wizard starts by asking you to define the type of file conversion you want to perform, and whether you would like to specify a default folder - which will be used as the base folder for all other pathnames.

Layout Definition

Next you are asked to specify or create a layout file. This describes the fields in both the input and output files - so you are able to change the record format, field by field. For example, you can change the size or type of numeric fields, or enlarge alphanumeric fields. The Wizard can hook you into the Record Layout tool which can process the COBOL record definition, then let you make any changes you require to the output field defintions. The snapshot below shows the Record Layout tool:

Conversion Wizard Steps 3 and 4

Once the layout is completed, you specify the input and output file details in steps 3 and 4.

Conversion Summary

After completing the Wizard steps, the Data Converter displays a summary of the conversion details. You can save this information in a .cif file to be used for repeated file conversions.

Conversion Preview

Before actually performing a conversion on your file, you can preview the conversion. The Preview function converts the first 100 records in the file and displays the output records. You are therefore to check that the conversion is being performed correctly before you run the conversion on your whole file. The snapshot below shows a data file being output as a comma separated values (CSV) file.