So - i have worked beginning with the first versions of Dease and i still working with 4.5.3 using WIN7 - it runs very fast and stabil. Now I tried to import a csv file which shows in debug mode all characters correkt - all german char like ÖÄ etc very well - but using the import system of dease all this char changed to any kind of others of the code tables - I do not know how to solve this problem. Has anybody an idea?

Are you sure those characters are incorrect, it isn't just the codepage in NTVDM defaulting to 437 instead of for instance 1252 (German)? So the characters are just displayed incorrectly.

If characters sets was a nightmare in the 80s, they are no less of a nightmare in the 2020s when you try to use a 8 bit one.

DataEase for DOS can in principle use any 8 bit codepage and read/write exactly what you "serve" it and there is no translation or conversion anywhere. 1 goes to 1 and 255 goes to 255 what sign that is in the codepage it doesn't care about. Save 1 and you get 1 back when you read it back.

So the problem is that your export need to be in a code page that match what is already stored in your system.

You say that existing data is working correctly  which then eliminate the problem pointed out by the very eminent Mr. vDos - Jos Schaars (you have gotten help from the best!) but this is a very simple problem. You need your export to be in the same codepage as you DataEase most likely 437 (Northern American with support for some European Languages including German) or 850 (Western Europe). Both should work if you aren't to creative with your writing but personally I would go for 850 as you can never know when the Americans withdraw their support.... ;-)