Using XSF device type in Unicode systems

[kimmo_sirpoma]

We need to send XSF data to external print software. SmartForms is the form type.

I made a test program which should output normal western characters as XML message. The program worked fine, but when I looked the spool request content in Output controller, everything looked like Chinese! I mean not only my application data was "chinese" but also sap standard structures which normally exist before application data in XML. If run the same program in a non-Unicode system, all is fine.

I haven't tried yet, what would be the outcome after SAP spooler would have sent the content to Unix spooler or file.

But I assume, the spool request content is now in Unicode (double byte). Or is it the opposite: spool request content is single byte, but my sapgui thinks whole system is Unicode and treats single byte character as double-bytes and therefore shows me the Chinese like of characters on display.

Further question: will there be unicode or non-unicode characters in the message or file after sap spool has send the content. That is: is the message output also in Unicode and thus recipient software must also be unicode enabled.

br Kimmo

[kimmo_sirpoma]

I should have looked for OSS notes first.

This note apparently answers to my question about the message content from the recipient software point of view.

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/919030

The note says, XDF and XSF content is always in UTF-8 even in Unicode systems.

Apparently there is problem with sapgui to display such UTF-8 content in Unicode environment which is the reason why I see completely Chinese characters in utility display spool request.

Next I need to analyze how is the case with RDI data in Unicode systems. Will that be send to recipient as Unicode or other.

br: Kimmo