readAFP — AFP / MO:DCA file inspector & renderer

No AFP file? Try one of these built-in samples:

Health Coverage letter A real-world insurance letter produced by a mainframe print system. Shows how AFP encodes TrueType text runs, colored rules, table borders, and multiple font weights — all positioned to the nearest point using PTOCA control sequences. GOCA vector graphics Four graphic objects drawn entirely with AFP's binary vector drawing orders (GOCA): a filled rectangle, a zigzag polyline, an ellipse, and an S-curve Bézier. Good for seeing how AFP represents vector art without any raster images. IOCA color photo A full-color photograph stored as an IOCA image object. AFP splits color into four grayscale ink planes (cyan, magenta, yellow, black); readAFP recomposes them in the browser with SVG color filters and multiply blending to rebuild the photo. FOCA raster font An AFP font resource that embeds its letters as bitmaps. readAFP decodes the FOCA pattern data — the actual 1-bit-per-pixel glyph shapes — and lays them out as a specimen sheet, one page per embedded typeface (Times-Roman and Courier). BCOCA QR bar code A bar code object (BBC/BDD/BDA) describing a QR Code symbol — AFP stores the symbology, module size and data, not a picture. readAFP reads the descriptor, generates the matrix with segno, and draws it crisp. Scan it: it points to this project's repo. Page overlay (letterhead) One page whose letterhead, rule and footer come from a reusable overlay (BMO/EMO) defined once and pulled in with a single Include Page Overlay (IPO) field — how AFP shares forms across many pages. readAFP composites the overlay beneath the body text.

Frequently asked questions

Is readAFP related to the AFP blood test (alpha-fetoprotein)?

No. readAFP has nothing to do with the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) blood test or lab report results. This site is a developer tool for a completely different kind of file: AFP (Advanced Function Presentation), IBM's MO:DCA print/document format. If you're looking for information about an AFP lab test, this isn't the right site — check with your lab or doctor.

What is an AFP (.afp) file?

An AFP file is IBM's Advanced Function Presentation format (MO:DCA) — a structured, page-based print stream used by mainframes and high-volume printers for output like statements, invoices, and bills. readAFP parses its internal structured fields and renders each page as SVG so you can inspect and view the document without IBM print software.

Do I need to install anything to use readAFP?

No. Upload an .afp file (or run it fully in-browser with no upload — see "Run privately") and readAFP parses and renders it instantly, free, with no account or install required.