# Hex Characters on Mainframe Work Files **URL:** \ **Category:** Forum\ **Tags:** Adabas-Natural, Natural, Natural-on-Mainframes\ **Created:** [September 1, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/hex-characters-on-mainframe-work-files/183616 "2015-09-01T15:37:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tadd\_Yarbrough1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tadd\_Yarbrough1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Tadd_Yarbrough1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/hex-characters-on-mainframe-work-files/183616/1 "2015-09-01T15:37:35Z")
My company has about 30-40 Easytrieve programs that need to be converted to Natural. I am able to duplicate in Natural what the Easytrieve program is producing as far as the raw data goes. However, for packed fields, the Easytrieve program signs the fields with a ‘C’, whereas my Natural program signs a Packed field with an ‘F’. Both programs move a P7 format field from the Input Work file to the Output Work file. There is no other data manipulation taking place. Both programs are on the Mainframe. Is there a Global setting that can be put into a Batch Natural program so that a packed field will be signed with a ‘C’ instead of an ‘F’ so that my file comparisons will match for documentation purposes ? Thanks, Tadd Yarbrough Sr. Programmer/Analyst AVX Corporation Fountain Inn, SC USA ---
**Author:** ![Finn\_the\_Dane1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/finn_the_dane1/32/132_2.png) [@Finn\_the\_Dane1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Finn_the_Dane1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/hex-characters-on-mainframe-work-files/183616/2 "2015-09-01T15:51:30Z")
Sounds like you are looking for this COMPOPT ? PSIGNF - Internal Representation of Positive Sign of Packed Numbers ON The positive sign of a packed number is represented internally as H’F’. This is the default value. OFF The positive sign of a packed number is represented internally as H’C’. [http://techcommunity.softwareag.com/ecosystem/documentation/natural/nat825mf/syscom/compopt.htm#PSIGNF](http://techcommunity.softwareag.com/ecosystem/documentation/natural/nat825mf/syscom/compopt.htm#PSIGNF) ---
**Author:** ![Tadd\_Yarbrough1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tadd\_Yarbrough1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Tadd_Yarbrough1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/hex-characters-on-mainframe-work-files/183616/3 "2015-09-01T16:05:08Z")
Finn, I tried your suggestion and here’s what happened: (JCL) //STEP040 EXEC NATURAL,DBID=D001,PARM=‘OPRB=(.ALL),COMPOPT=OFF’ //DDCARD DD DSN=ADABAS.&DBID…PARMLIB(PREFETCH),DISP=SHR //AR3004 DD DSN=ARPROD.ARV312.AR3004,DISP=SHR //CMWKF01 DD DSN=ARTEST.ARV312.AR3001.FLATIN,DISP=SHR //CMWKF02 DD DSN=ARTEST.JAR019D.STEP040.CASHAPP.FILE, // DISP=(NEW,CATLG,DELETE), // DCB=(RECFM=FB,LRECL=132,BLKSIZE=27984), // SPACE=(4096,(100,10),RLSE), // UNIT=SYSTST //SYSOUT DD SYSOUT=\* //DATA DD \* LOGON ACCTBTCH PAR021 XX //\* (Error Message) PAGE 1 09/01/15 10:08:30 10:08:30 \*\*\*\*\* ERRORS DURING INIITALISATION \*\*\*\*\* 09/01/15 - LIST ERRORS - NAT7008 PARAMETER COMPOPT NON-EXISTENT OR NOT ALLOWED DYNAMICALLY. Logon accepted to library COSEBTCH. NEXT LOGON ACCTBTCH Logon accepted to library ACCTBTCH. NEXT PAR021 XX Page 1 09/01/15 10:08:30 RUN TYPE: XX RUN TIME: 00:00:01.2 I failed to mention we are Natural 3.1.5 and OS/390 v2.10. Thanks, Tadd Yarbrough Sr. Programmer/Analyst AVX Corporation Fountain Inn, SC USA ---
**Author:** ![Finn\_the\_Dane1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/finn_the_dane1/32/132_2.png) [@Finn\_the\_Dane1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Finn_the_Dane1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/hex-characters-on-mainframe-work-files/183616/4 "2015-09-01T16:09:51Z")
Sorry for using internal “slang” COMPOPT is short for “compiler option” So you need to specify this and recompile the program. [http://techcommunity.softwareag.com/ecosystem/documentation/natural/nat825mf/syscom/compopt.htm](http://techcommunity.softwareag.com/ecosystem/documentation/natural/nat825mf/syscom/compopt.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Tadd\_Yarbrough1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tadd\_Yarbrough1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Tadd_Yarbrough1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/hex-characters-on-mainframe-work-files/183616/5 "2015-09-01T16:26:45Z")
Finn, Keyed in COMPOPT on the command line inside the Natural Editor and found this: ============================================================== 10:31:26 \*\*\*\*\* NATURAL COMPOPT COMMAND \*\*\*\*\* 09/01/2015 USER TADD - COMPILATION OPTIONS - LIBRARY ACCTBTCH (KCHECK) KEYWORD CHECKING … OFF (PCHECK) PARAMETER CHECKING FOR CALLNAT STATEMENTS … OFF (DBSHORT) INTERPRETATION OF DATABASE SHORT FIELD NAMES … ON (PSIGNF) INTERNAL REPRESENTATION OF POSITIVE SIGN OF PACKED NUMBERS .. OFF (TSENABL) APPLICABILITY OF TS PROFILE PARAMETER … OFF (GFID) GENERATION OF GLOBAL FORMAT IDS … ON (LOWSRCE) ALLOW LOWER CASE SOURCE … OFF VERSION COMPATIBILITY OPTIONS (FINDMUN) DETECT INCONSISTENT COMPARISON LOGIC IN FIND STATEMENTS … OFF (V22COMP) ALLOW OLD VERSION 2.2 SYNTAX … OFF # COMMAND ===\> ENTER-PF1—PF2—PF3—PF4—PF5—PF6—PF7—PF8—PF9—PF10–PF11–PF12— HELP PRINT EXIT UPDAT CANC In 21+ years as a Natural programmer, I’ve never seen this screen or knew it even existed. The PSIGNF value was originally set to ‘ON’. I changed it to ‘OFF’ and now my program is mirroring the Easytrieve program. Thank You for your help and quick response. Tadd Yarbrough Sr. Programmer/Analyst AVX Corporation Fountain Inn, SC USA ---
**Author:** ![Ralph\_Zbrog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/ralph_zbrog/32/78_2.png) [@Ralph\_Zbrog](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Ralph_Zbrog)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/hex-characters-on-mainframe-work-files/183616/6 "2015-09-01T17:26:58Z")
To ensure the setting, so that the next compile doesn’t accidentally reverse it, you can code it within your program. For example ```auto END-DEFINE OPTIONS PSIGNF=ON ... ``` ---
**Author:** ![Tadd\_Yarbrough1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tadd\_Yarbrough1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Tadd_Yarbrough1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/hex-characters-on-mainframe-work-files/183616/7 "2015-09-01T19:07:31Z")
I like this solution a little bit better. Never sure what a global setting change with do to my other programs. Thanks to you both for the suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 3:34pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/hex-characters-on-mainframe-work-files/183616/8 "2021-04-02T15:34:05Z")