BCD to decimal and viceversa

Question

Hi,
Am working on conversion of decimal to BCD (Binary coded decimal) and viceversa. I require BCD for calling Cobol from Java using JNI.
Can anybody help me out in giving a pointer or an algorithm for doing the same.
I Googled on the web for any info on BCD conversion, but all in vain. Even Java Forums here in Sun also donot have any info on the same.
Please help me out.
TIA,
Prashanth Babu.

Answer 1

You'll have to adjust this to do put the output where you want. Surely not the only (and maybe not elegant):
   /** Write specified string into stream as two Binary-Coded Decimal (BCD)
    *     digits.
   private static void writeTwoBCDDigits(DataOutputStream stream,
                                         String           twoDigits)
          throws IOException
      // Convert two digits to Binary-Coded Decimal (BCD).
      // The "write(int)" function writes a numeric value in binary to the
      //    stream.
      // If the twoDigits string is parsed as a hexadecimal integer, then
      //    writing the equivalent decimal integer using "write(int)" will
      //    generate the correct BCD numbers.
      // For example, if twoDigits is "54", parsing this as the hexadecimal
      //    integer 54 results in twoBCDDigits as the decimal integer 84.
      //    Then, "write(84)" will write the correct bits to the stream:
      //    "0101 0100" (space not included).
      //    "0101" = BCD '5' and "0100" = BCD '4'.
      int twoBCDDigits = Integer.parseInt(twoDigits, 16);
      // Write out the numeric value of twoBCDDigits in one byte.
      stream.write(twoBCDDigits);
   }