libiconv for OS/2

Table of Contents

• What is libiconv
• Binary Package
• Build from Source

In some UNIXes, there is 'iconv' library, as generic multi-lingual character code, encoding coversion. If you are handling UTF-8, UTF-16, it is nearly standard library for handling such code.

As I developed some program using 'iconv' library on OS/2, I ported free (LGPL) implementation of 'iconv' library, Mr. Bruno Haible's 'libiconv' into OS/2 (2). See this table for current supporting character set and encodings.

Now, new version, 'libiconv-1.4' was released, and it now contains OS/2 support (based on my previous patch) in it. So, I re-write this page and moved old content into old page. If you interested how libiconv was ported, see old page. If you want to use 'iconv' library without building from source, then continue on.

I prepared binary package here (1).

• libiconv1-4 OS/2 birnaries

It contains header, import libraries (.a and .lib) and DLL. Also contains 'iconv.exe' (from tests directory) as simple conversion program.

Usage of iconv is quite simple.

iconv -f From-Encoding -t To-Encoding < From-File > To-File

Encodings supported with libiconv-1.4 is listed in Table of Encodings

New version 1.4 contains guide to build libiconv on OS/2. See 'README.os2' in the source archive.

Source and command files in the archive are written in UNIX text format. It generally no problem if you build, install libiconv on OS/2. But if you try test the library (make -f Makefile.os2 check), REXX scripts in the 'tests' directory causes runtime error on their execution. So, first convert following scripts in 'tests' directory into DOS text format.

      check-stateful.cmd
      check-stateless.cmd
      check-translit.cmd

1. In documents and source code, auther's address is akira@sra.co.jp, but after retirement, it become unreachable.Please use current mail address akira@p08.itscom.net.

   But after retirement, I don't have OS/2 environment at hand. So I cannot confirm any problems, or no more updates.

2. "libiconv" was first, Mr. Bruno Haible's private project, but now it was passed to GNU and maintained as GNU library. OS/2 port was done its early days, since then libiconv got many version ups, and port does not support those up-to-date versions.