These classes are used to convert ABAP data from the system format to external formats and vice versa. During this conversion process, character-type data may be converted to another character set, while numeric-type data may be converted to another byte order (or endian format). You must use a container of type X or XSTRING for data in an external format.
Character sets and endian formats are also converted by the file interface (OPEN DATASET with new additions), RFCs, and the function modules GUI_DOWNLOAD and GUI_UPLOAD. The classes described below are available for those special cases where the possibilities offered by conversion are insufficient. Since these classes work with containers of types X and XSTRING, these containers can be copied unconverted by the file interface (OPEN DATASET with new additions), RFCs, and the function modules GUI_DOWNLOAD and GUI_UPLOAD. These classes replace the following two statements:
TRANSLATE c ...FROM CODE PAGE g1 ... TO CODE PAGE g2
TRANSLATE f ...FROM NUMBER FORMAT n1 ... TO NUMBER FORMAT n2
For a detailed description, see the class documentation in the Class Builder. The following classes are available:
Reads data from a container and converts it to the system format. You can also fill structures with data.
Converts data from the system format to an external format and writes it to a container.
Converts data from one external format to another.