Vector pack and unpack instructions

A computer system for facilitating processing within a computing environment, the computer system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, said method comprising:
• executing an instruction to perform a conversion between decimal formats, wherein one of the decimal formats is a zoned decimal format, and wherein the executing includes:
• obtaining a value from at least one register specified using the instruction;
• converting at least a portion of the value from one decimal format to another decimal format different from the one decimal format to provide a converted result;
• writing a result obtained from the converted result into a single register specified using the instruction;
• obtaining, using a field of the instruction, at least one validity control, the at least one validity control to determine whether one or more particular validity checks relating to the instruction are to be performed, the at least one validity control including a digit validation control and a sign validation control;
• and
• performing, as part of executing the instruction, the one or more particular validity checks based on the at least one validity control indicating the one or more particular validity checks are to be performed, wherein the performing the one or more particular validity checks includes checking a sign code of a source value of the instruction for a general operand data exception based on the digit validation control being set to a selected value to indicate validity checking and the sign validation control being set to a chosen value to indicate validity checking.

A computer-implemented method of facilitating processing within a computing environment, the computer-implemented method comprising:

• executing an instruction to perform a conversion between decimal formats, wherein one of the decimal formats is a zoned decimal format, and wherein the executing includes:
• obtaining a value from at least one register specified using the instruction;
• converting at least a portion of the value from one decimal format to another decimal format different from the one decimal format to provide a converted result;
• writing a result obtained from the converted result into a single register specified using the instruction;
• obtaining, using a field of the instruction, at least one validity control, the at least one validity control to determine whether one or more particular validity checks relating to the instruction are to be performed, the at least one validity control including a digit validation control and a sign validation control;
• and
• performing, as part of executing the instruction, the one or more particular validity checks based on the at least one validity control indicating the one or more particular validity checks are to be performed, wherein the performing the one or more particular validity checks includes checking a sign code of a source value of the instruction for a general operand data exception based on the digit validation control being set to a selected value to indicate validity checking and the sign validation control being set to a chosen value to indicate validity checking.

A computer program product for facilitating processing within a computing environment, the computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions collectively stored on the one or more computer readable storage media to perform a method comprising:
• executing a vector unpack zoned high instruction to perform an unpack operation, the unpack operation including a conversion between a signed packed decimal format and a zoned decimal format and validity checking, wherein the executing includes:
• obtaining a value from at least one register specified using the instruction;
• converting selected leftmost digits of the value from the signed packed decimal format to the zoned decimal format to provide a converted result;
• writing a result obtained from the converted result into a single register specified using the instruction;
• obtaining, using a field of the instruction, a digit validation control and a sign validation control;
• and
• performing, as part of executing the vector unpack zoned high instruction, a sign code validity check of an input value of the instruction for a general operand data exception based on the digit validation control being set to a selected value to indicate validity checking and the sign validation control being set to a chosen value to indicate validity checking.

A computer program product for facilitating processing within a computing environment, the computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions collectively stored on the one or more computer readable storage media to perform a method comprising:
• executing a vector unpack zoned low instruction to perform an unpack operation, the unpack operation including a conversion between a signed packed decimal format and a zoned decimal format and validity checking, wherein the executing includes:
• obtaining a value from at least one register specified using the instruction;
• converting selected rightmost digits of the value from the signed packed decimal format to the zoned decimal format to provide a converted result;
• writing a result obtained from the converted result into a single register specified using the instruction;
• obtaining, using a field of the instruction, a digit validation control and a sign validation control;
• and
• performing, as part of executing the vector unpack zoned low instruction, a sign code validity check of an input value of the instruction for a general operand data exception based on the digit validation control being set to a selected value to indicate validity checking and the sign validation control being set to a chosen value to indicate validity checking.