IBM Mainframe Forum

Hello,
Im fairly new to mainframes (~6 months).
Im trying to access data in a file (its a GDG file, if that's relevant) in an English readable format.

The CopyBook states something similar to this:


etc.

But when I look at the output in the GDG I see gibberish signs mixed with readable data. When I use File-AID (also a newbie to this) and input the copybook... it helps a bit but much of it is still gibberish.
What are the gibberish signs? Why are they there? Is it possible to get rid of them? Shouldn't it just be the data that is in the copybook in the output file?

Example of gibberish:

There is "gibberish"! It is all data but some of it will be PACKED DECIMAL or binary data - your DATA-CLIENT-ID is in binary for example. To see the actual data display the dataset (not file) in hex ("HEX ON" ISPF command).

When posting data, code and screen shots from cut'n'paste please use the code tags to preserve spaces and present your post in a better format. Use the Full Editor / POSTREPLY button to write your posts until you have learnt how to manually code the tags. I have coded your post for you.

Thanks,
Hex was useful.

Ill use the editor more carefully in future.