Pervasive DataTools - Data Parsers

The Pervasive Data Parsers are the tools to use for parsing flat data files where there is only partial or no internal metadata. These flat files originate from mainframe (iSeries, AS/400, z/OS, z/VSE, CICS, HP 8000, and others), mini (DEC, HP 3000, Data General, Wang 2200, and others), and personal computers (MS-DOS, Windows, Linux, and UNIX) in obscure proprietary formats for which there is limited or no access. They often contain EBCDIC encoded data and require special handling to convert EBCDIC to ASCII.

Source Side

The Data Parsers support reading data from these semi- or un-structured flat files and provide a graphical interface in which you can manually define the record layout and field definitions. Alternately, if you have access to a dictionary file that contains the record layout and data definition, each Data Parser includes dictionary file support that is appropriate to the source data format. The Data Parser reads the external dictionary file - such as a COBOL copybook, ASCII record structure, Btrieve DDF, etc. - and auto-parses the data file into data records and data fields. Support for EBCDIC to ASCII conversion and ASCII to EBCDIC conversion, unicode and other international encodings (UTF-8, UTF-16, double-byte, multi-byte, etc.) is included in all of the Data Parsers.

Each of the Data Parsers can parse and convert fixed-length data files as follows...

Data Parser for Binary

The Data Parser for Binary can be used to parse and convert mainframe COBOL, RMCOBOL, VSCOBOL, ISAM, D-ISAM, VSAM flat files, BTREE and virtually any flat binary data file. The Data Parser for Binary supports dozens of data types including 16-bit binary, 24-bit binary, 32-bit binary, 64-bit binary, IEEE floating point, VAX floating point, Cray floating point, column binary, Comp, Comp-1, Comp-2, Comp-3, Comp-5, Comp-X, Display, Display Justified, Display Sign Leading, Display Sign Trailing, Packed Decimal, Pascal 48-bit real, Pascal string, Text, Zoned Decimal, Zoned-Leading Sign, and Zoned-Trailing Sign, and many others. Options for handling big endian, little endian, byte order, reverse byte order, and many other platform-specific data storage properties.

Data Parser for Btrieve

The Data Parser for Btrieve enables you to parse and convert many versions of Btrieve data files. The Data Parser for Btrieve supports dozens of Btrieve data types including 32-bit IEEE floating point, 64-bit IEEE floating point, Autoinc (2- & 4- byte), Bfloat (4- & 8-byte), Bit, Character, Comp, Comp-1, Comp-3, Comp-5, Comp-X, Date, Decimal, Float (4- & 8-byte), Integer (1-, 2-, 4-, & 8-byte), Logical, Logical (2 bytes), LString, LVar, Magic PC (Date, Extended, Number, Real, & Time), Microsoft BASIC Double, Microsoft BASIC Float, Money, Note, Numeric, NumericSA, NumericSTS, Packed Decimal, Sales Ally (Time-2, Date, Time-1, & Time), Unsigned (1-, 2-, 4-, & 8-byte), Zoned Decimal, and ZString.

Data Parser for C-ISAM

The Data Parser for C-ISAM is used to parse and convert C-ISAM data files. Support for the following data types is included: Character, Comp, Comp-1, Comp-2, Comp-3, Comp-5, Comp-X, Date, Decimal, Display, Display sign leading, Display sign leading separate, Display sign trailing, Display sign trailing separate, Float, Integer, Money, Null-terminated C string, Pascal string (1 byte), Pascal string (2 bytes), Serial, Smallfloat, Smallint, Zoned decimal, Zoned leading sign, and Zoned trailing sign.

Data Parser for C-TREE

Use the Data Parser for C-TREE to parse and convert C-TREE and C-TREE PLUS files. The Data Parser for C-TREE supports the following data types: 1-byte & 2-byte Lstring, 8-, 16-, 24-, 32-, & 64-bit binary, 32-bit IEEE floating-point, Character, Date, Display, Diaplay sign leading, Display sign leading separate, Display sign trailing, Display sign trailing separate, Float, Money, Packed decimal, Time, Zoned decimal, Zoned, leading sign, Zoned, trailing sign, and Zstring.

Data Parser for Fixed Text

For parsing fixed-length text files use the Data Parser for Fixed Text. The Data Parser for Fixed Text supports Character, Date, and Numeric data types.

Data Parser for Micro Focus COBOL

Use the Data Parser for Micro Focus COBOL to parse and convert MFCOBOL data files. The Data Parser for Micro Focus COBOL supports these data types: Comp, Comp-1, Comp-2, Comp-3, Comp-5, Comp-X, Display, Display Justified, Display Sign Leading, Display Sign Trailing, Packed Decimal, Text, Zoned Decimal, Zoned-Leading Sign, and Zoned-Trailing Sign.

Here are a few other names by which a variety of source data file formats are known: SDF (Standard Data Format), Fixed Length, Fixed Width, and Fixed Format.

The graphical tool gives you the power to completely view all the Source data in its native - including hexadecimal - and unpacked format, to help you read, translate and define packed, decimal, and integer data fields. Record filtering and sorting can be used to constrain the Source data sets.

Supported Source File Formats

A Pervasive Data Parser is available for each of the following source file formats:

Target & Mapping

And that is only the beginning. A world class Source-to-Target drag-n-drop Mapping UI is available to perform any needed re-structuring of fields and columns to get the data into the structured Target file. A full-blown transformation capability is in the same Mapping UI, with easy wizards for editing, reformatting, cleansing and otherwise manipulating the data contents on-the-fly so that only clean data is written to the target data file! The Pervasive Data Parsers convert your data to CSV Text and Unicode CSV Text target formats, including UTF-8, UTF-16, double-byte, multi-byte, and other international encoding.

Many features are available. For example, single-step visual debugging of transformations, detailed logging, before and after views of the data, and the ability to save your maps for reuse.