Convert::IBM390 version 0.05

This is a transitional release.  The next release WILL NOT include
separate functions for packed and zoned numeric conversion, unless
there is a great public outcry.  Here's why.

Three major changes were made in this release: (1) the cryptic names
"pdi" and "pdo" (borrowed from an old APL workspace written by IBM) were
changed to "packed2num" and "num2packed" respectively; (2) two new
functions were added to handle zoned-decimal numbers, namely "zoned2num"
and "num2zoned"; and (3) the packeb() function was added.

It has occurred to me, however, that packeb and unpackeb can now handle
all packed and zoned conversions, and more besides.  For instance,
instead of coding
    $num = packed2num($packed);
    $zoned_out = num2zoned($num, 7,2);
you can now code:
    $num = unpackeb("p", $packed);
    $zoned_out = packeb("z7.2", $num);
Thus, there is really no need for separate numeric conversions.

I am inclined to keep asc2eb, eb2asc, and eb2ascp, since they are
probably wanted pretty often; but I think the separate packed and zoned
conversions are unnecessary.  Thus, I intend to drop them from future
releases unless others demand them.  (And should packeb and unpackeb
work with $warninv or not?  I'm undecided.)  I welcome your comments by
e-mail to grommel@sears.com.


Geoffrey Rommel
July 1999
