Mainframe Connector data types

The following tables lists all the data types that Mainframe Connector supports.

COBOL usage type Supported flags Condition Optimized Row Columnar (ORC)​​ type Type Decoding behavior (gsutil cp) Encoding behavior (bq export)
Double FLOAT64 Encodes the String, Double, and Float data types.
If signed Long INT64 If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array. Encodes the String, Integer, and Long data types.
If unsigned Long INT64 If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array. Encodes the String, Integer, and Long data types.
NULL_INDICATOR If all the following condition are satisfied:
  • Name ends with _BT or -BT.
  • Picture not numeric.
  • There is either no field modifier or NULL_INDICATOR.
 Bytes BYTES Is never stored as NULL. If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array.
FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA DATE field which uses the DATE_CONVERTER command Date DATE If an invalid date and FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA is set, an error is displayed and the record is ignored. If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array. Encodes the String, LocalDate, and Date data types.
FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA TIMESTAMP field which uses the TIMESTAMP_CONVERTER command Timestamp TIMESTAMP If an invalid date and FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA is set, an error is displayed and the record is ignored. If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array. Encodes the String and Timestamp data types.
NULL_INDICATOR EMPTY_STRING_AS_NULL TRIM_STRING_SUFFIX Picture not numeric, if any. If pictures contains the following:
  • N and NSYMBOL == NATIONAL use UTF-16BE
  • N and NSYMBOL == DBCS act as DISPLAY-1
  • U uses UTF8
 Bytes STRING The following character set transformation is performed:
First, bytes are decoded into characters, and then those characters are encoded into UTF-8-based bytes stored into the column vector. Depending on the EMPTY_STRING_AS_NULL, data is stored as NULL. Depending on TRIM_STRING_SUFFIX, trailing whitespaces and low values are trimmed. 		If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array. Encodes the String, LocalDate, BigDecimal, and Timestamp data types.
NULL_INDICATOR EMPTY_STRING_AS_NULL TRIM_STRING_SUFFIX If the field name ends with _DBCS or -DBCS then use shift-out, shift-in encoding. Bytes STRING See DISPLAY (*) See DISPLAY (*)
NULL_INDICATOR EMPTY_STRING_AS_NULL TRIM_STRING_SUFFIX See DISPLAY (*) Bytes STRING See DISPLAY (*) See DISPLAY (*)
NULL_INDICATOR EMPTY_STRING_AS_NULL TRIM_STRING_SUFFIX See DISPLAY (*) Bytes STRING See DISPLAY (*) See DISPLAY (*)
VARIABLE_LENGTH_ENABLED VARIABLE_LENGTH_LEN_SUFFIX VARIABLE_LENGTH_DATA_SUFFIX If VARIABLE_LENGTH_ENABLED is set, the field is of variable length, and marked by a group structure of two or three fields, depending on an extra NULL_INDICATOR field:
  • The first field either ends with -LEN or with the value set by VARIABLE_LENGTH_LEN_SUFFIX.
  • The second field either ends with -TEXT or with the value set by VARIABLE_LENGTH_DATA_SUFFIX.
 Bytes STRING The data part is decoded as DISPLAY, but is never stored as NULL. If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array. Encodes the String, LocalDate, and BigDecimal data types.
EMPTY_VALUES_ARE_NULL FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA Decimal64 NUMERIC Decode as NULL, if all the bytes are:
  • Either spaces, high, or low, and
  • Not FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA or,
  • FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA and,
  • EMPTY_VALUES_ARE_NULL.

If the data is invalid, and FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA is set, an error is displayed, and the record is ignored. 		If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array. Encodes the String and BigDecimal data type.
EMPTY_VALUES_ARE_NULL FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA precision <= 18 && scale == 0 Long INT64 Decode as NULL, if all the bytes are:
  • Either spaces, high, or low, and
  • Not FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA or,
  • FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA and,
  • EMPTY_VALUES_ARE_NULL.

If the data is invalid, and FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA is set, an error is displayed, and the record is ignored.
Decode into long assuming EBCDIC encoding for The sign nibble. 		If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array. Encodes the String, Long and BigDecimal data types.
EMPTY_VALUES_ARE_NULL FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA precision <= 18 Decimal64 NUMERIC Decode as NULL, if all the bytes are:
  • Either spaces, high, or low, and,
  • Not FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA or,
  • FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA and,
  • EMPTY_VALUES_ARE_NULL.

If the data is invalid, and FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA is set, an error is displayed, and the record is ignored.
Decode into long assuming EBCDIC encoding for sign nibble. 		If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array. Encodes the String, Long and BigDecimal data types.
EMPTY_VALUES_ARE_NULL FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA 18 < precision <= 38 Decimal BIGNUMERIC Decode as NULL, if all the bytes are:
  • Either spaces, high, or low, and,
  • Not FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA or,
  • FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA and,
  • EMPTY_VALUES_ARE_NULL.

If the data is invalid, and FAIL_ON_INVALID_DATA is set, an error is displayed, and the record is ignored.
Decode into long assuming EBCDIC encoding for sign nibble. 		If the value is NULL, returns an empty byte array. Encodes the String, Long, BigInteger, and BigDecimal data type.