EBCDIC Definition

EBCDIC which is an abbreviation from the term Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code is referring to a binary encoding system with an eight-bit character. This code was originally developed for IBM operating systems computers.

The binary code is uniquely representing every alphabetic character and numeric number in addition to other symbols like punctuation marks and non-alphabetics. EBCDIC is capable of carrying up to 256 characters and supporting various languages as well as character sets. As a disadvantage that is recognized in this encoding system is that it is incompatible with other codes like ASCII which can raise issues when transferring data between the two.

Pros and cons of using EBCDIC

Now that we are being fully on the same page about the meaning behind the term Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code we can flash forward to discussing its possible advantages and what disadvantages to be on the look out for.

Here are the three widely understood and accepted pros of using EBCDIC:

• A long history of legacy support. Since a large number of older legacy mainframe systems in IBM still utilize his encoding system there is still demand for supporting EBCDIC to make sure existing databases are operating efficiently.

• Support of specialized characters. Unlike other systems, EBCDIC is supporting a variety of different characters and symbols that go above Latin which makes it more dverse.

• Smaller storage needs. The capacity of EBCDIC to store vast amounts of data in minimal storage space without loosing the quality is one of the main reasons it became popular in the first place.

With the widely recognized advantages out of the way let us take a closer look at the various pitfalls associated with EBCDIC:

• Constraints with compatability. Modern tech is not equipped to decode EBCDIC which calls for additional middleware encoding schemes for decoding.

• Language and translation considerations. The limited use of this system is further proved by the fact that modern programming languages simply do not support EBCDIC.

• Lack of expert developers. Since this encoding system is nearly five decades old an has gone out of popularity the lack of talented developers using EBCDIC is growing more prominent.