Message description-level support

When a message description is added to a message file, the CCSID of the message text must be communicated to the operating system. These topics also discuss how the CCSID of a message description is set and how to change the CCSID of a message description.

You can use the CCSID parameter on the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) or the Change Message Description (CHGMSGD) command to communicate this CCSID to the operating system.

The default settings of these commands indicate that the message text is in the CCSID of the job that is running the command. You can change this value by specifying a different CCSID value. You can also change this value by indicating that no CCSID processing should occur. You indicate that no CCSID processing should occur on the message text by specifying a CCSID value of 65535 (*HEX).

If you set CCSID processing on, system-supplied display files and printer files that display or print message descriptions convert the CCSID of the message file to the CCSID of the job before displaying them or printing them. To print and display the messages correctly, your job CCSID setting must be the same as the code page portion of your device CHRID setting.

All message descriptions that existed in a message file that was created before V3R1 are tagged with CCSID 65535 on the first use or handling of that message description.

If the text of a message is not in the CCSID specified, incorrect conversion results might occur. See Can I correct the CCSID of a message description? if this occurs.

• Message file with a CCSID of 65535 or 65534
  If the CCSID of the message file is 65535 or 65534, no conversion occurs on the message description when it is added to the file. The message description CCSID is set to the CCSID specified on the ADDMSGD or CHGMSGD command.
• Message file with a specific CCSID
  If the CCSID of the message file is something other than 65535 or 65534, the first- and second-level text of the message description is converted from the CCSID specified to the CCSID of the message file. It is then tagged with the CCSID of the message file.
• Change the CCSID of a message description
  When you take the option to change a message description from the Work with Message Descriptions display, all current values for the selected message description are retrieved and placed on the prompt display.