The Supplementary Graphic Character Sets

In the VOS internal character coding system, the supplementary graphic character sets are the right graphic character sets that are represented by the character codes in the range A0 to FF hex. In this manual, the terms "supplementary graphic character set" and "right graphic character set" are used interchangeably. Latin alphabet No. 1, katakana, kanji, hangul, Chinese, simplified Chinese, and user-defined double-byte are examples of right graphic character sets.

In this manual, Latin alphabet No. 1 is defined as a right graphic character set, located on the right-hand side of the VOS internal character coding system. If no other right graphic character set is specified as the default, Latin alphabet No. 1 is the default right graphic character set.

The determination of which character set is represented by the codes in the range A0 to FF hex in a particular instance depends on the following:

  • the default
  • the presence of single- or locking-shift character codes preceding the graphic character code in question

Shift-character codes are explained later in this chapter under "Shift Characters."

As shown below, the right graphic character sets, except for user-defined double-byte, represent specific national languages.

  • Latin alphabet No. 1 represents European languages.
  • Katakana and kanji represent Japanese.
  • Hangul represents Korean.
  • Chinese represents Chinese.
  • Simplified Chinese represents simplified Chinese.

Latin alphabet No. 1 and katakana characters are single-byte. Kanji, hangul, Chinese, simplified Chinese, and user-defined double-byte characters are double-byte.

NLS character strings can contain characters from multiple character sets, including ASCII.

The right graphic character sets are defined by the following standards.

  • Latin alphabet No. 1 is defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) document ISO-8859/1, 8-bit Single Byte Coded Graphic Character Sets--Latin alphabet No. 1, Part I.
  • Kanji is defined by the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) C 6226.
  • Katakana is defined by the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) C 6220.
  • Hangul is defined by the Korean Standard (KS) C 5601.
  • Chinese is defined by the Chinese Central Bureau of Standards (CBS) General Hantz Standard (GHS) 3/86 (2 volumes).
  • Simplified Chinese is defined by the Chinese Association of Standards (CAS) GB 2312-1980.

The user-defined double-byte character set has no defining standard. Appendix A contains an address where you can send for any of the preceding standards. Appendix B contains a table showing the ASCII and Latin alphabet No. 1 character sets and the Stratus-specific control characters.