WarpIN is capable of supporting application data in multiple codepages, although we recommend not to alter WarpIN's default codepage of 850.

WarpIN's codepage support is separated into three layers:

  1. The backend (i.e. the compression engine) will always operate with the default codepage that the WarpIN process was started with. This is normally the first codepage specified with the CODEPAGE setting in CONFIG.SYS, which is 850 on most systems. This ensures that all file names etc. will always be processed with the user's default codepage.

    However, to make sure that WarpIN's file operations will keep working even if the user chooses to change his default code page (between package installation and de-installation), you should never use special characters (above ASCII 127) in your package's file names. Otherwise file verification and de-installation of WarpIN might fail.

  2. In "Install" mode, WarpIN's frontend can switch to a different codepage if the archive's script has specified this with the WARPIN element. That is, the whole PM windowing stuff will be displayed with that codepage (installation pages, package descriptions, etc.).

    If this is not specified, this will default to 850. Even if your system default codepage is not 850, in "Install" mode, WarpIN will switch to codepage 850 then. In "Install" mode, WarpIN stores the data to the database together with the codepage number which this data needs to be displayed in.

  3. In "Database" mode, WarpIN's frontend will always operate with the default codepage (from CONFIG.SYS) and translate characters from the database if a package with a different codepage has been stored there.