Problem:

Is it possible to read a line sequential file that contains tab characters i.e. x"09"?  The tab control codes seem to get expanded to spaces.

Resolution:

By default the external file handler will convert tab characters (x"09") to spaces.  This functionality can be changed via the EXTFH.CFG file.  There is a configuration option called EXPANDTAB that if set to OFF will ensure that the x"09" are left in place.

This can be applied to an individual file or on an application basis.  An example configuration file would look like this:

[TESTFILE.DAT]

EXPANDTAB=OFF

Please see the Micro Focus online help for full details of this and other configuration options.