TPL Convert

TPL Convert is a tool you can use to convert downloaded BLS TPL source codebooks and/or IBM mainframe data files into the formats appropriate for computers running Windows or Unix.

A data file that contains only character data is normally converted by your download software. However, downloaded data files that contain any non-character fields cannot be used on Windows or Unix systems without data conversion. TPL Convert can solve this problem for you by converting data files which contain binary, packed, zoned, floating point and character fields. Numeric fields are converted in such a way that the full accuracy of the numbers will be preserved. TPL Convert can process flat or hierarchical files. It can even convert most variable length record files.

If a BLS TPL codebook source exists which describes the data in its mainframe format, TPL Convert will create a TPL Tables codebook from it which will accurately describe the data after conversion. In this case, TPL Convert will use the codebook to create the specifications for data conversion.

If you do not have a BLS TPL codebook source for the data file, you need to prepare the specifications for data conversion. TPL Convert will then do the data conversion and, if you wish, create a TPL Tables codebook for the converted data file.

Conversion of data consists of two simple steps. First you download the data, and the BLS TPL codebook if available, from your IBM mainframe to your PC or Unix machine. Then you run TPL Convert to create new file(s) in Windows or Unix format.