Definition
All data in the database is stored as a sequence of bytes (numbers), including all characters. For character data, a code pages defines the mapping between a byte sequence and a character (a letter, symbol, ideograph, dingbat, etc.). A code page is a matrix of code points, which are the coordinate values for a given space in a code page matrix (see example).
Use
A code page is used whenever character data is processed on the application server, displayed on the front end, or rendered by the printer. Each SAP code page is given a unique four-digit number. For information on how to set the system code page, see Note 73606, which can be downloaded at
ftp://sapserv3/home/ftp/general/R3server/abap/note.0073606/document/R3_languages.pdf
The code pages on the application server and the front end may be slightly different, because of differences between Microsoft code pages, and the code pages defined in the ISO8859 standard.
Code pages in SAP system
Language |
Application Server |
Front End (Microsoft) |
English |
1100 |
1160 |
Polish |
1401 |
1404 |
Japanese |
8000 |
8000 |
As of Release 4.6C the front end code page is selected automatically, based on the log-in language. In earlier releases, the front end code page had to be set manually:
In the SAP Logon select Properties then select Advanced and under Language preferences enter your log-in language.
On a system using the code page 1100, the correct front-end code page is 1160. If the front end code page is incorreclty set to 1100, then no conversion takes place betwen the front end and the application server. As a result, it is possible to enter characters that are not defined in the system code page; these characters will not be stored correctly in the database. For example, the code page 1160 contains the trademark symbol, which is not in the code page 1100. The character may display correctly, but it is not correctly stored in the database.
In addition to the front end code pages, it is also possible to specify a font for the front end. The font should correspond to the front end code page. Selecting the wrong front can also lead to problems. For example you should not select a Greek front to enter "Greek" text into a system that has only the system code page 1100. The character may display correctly, but it is not correctly stored in the database. For more information, see Note 73606
Example
In the following code page, the character "B" has the code point 0x42 (in hexadecimal notation), and the character "º" has the code point 0xBA. The empty fields are reserved for control characters, such as LINE FEED.
ISO8859-1 (SAP 1100)