DBCS character strings

You can use bracketed-DBCS character strings in DDS files for text-related keywords, such as TEXT and COLHDG, and both bracketed and DBCS-graphic character strings as parameters on the COMP, DFT, RANGE, and VALUES keywords.

Considerations for using DBCS character strings

Consider the following information when you use DBCS character strings:

Do not specify DBCS character strings for those DDS keywords that are dependent on data type, and for which you did not specify a DBCS data type (data type O, J, E, or G).
When the source file is defined as DBCS, DDS scans all character strings as DBCS character strings and considers all data between the shift-control characters to be part of the character string.
Remember to include both shift-control characters. If the shift-in character indicating the end of the DBCS string is missing, the system considers the remainder of the record, including the ending single quotation mark, to be part of the character string.
When the source file is alphanumeric, DDS does not check the character string to make sure that you have included only DBCS characters between the shift-control characters.
When the source file is alphanumeric, DDS identifies DBCS character strings as alphanumeric literals.
You can refer to a field that contains a DBCS character string from another file, using the reference function. DDS copies the attributes of the field containing the DBCS character string (the referenced field) to the field you are defining. If the file containing the referenced field is DBCS and the file you are defining is alphanumeric, DDS does not check the character string to make sure that it is a valid DBCS character string. If the file containing the referenced field is alphanumeric and the file you are defining is DBCS, DDS checks the character string to make sure that it is a valid DBCS character string.