(1) For ASCII locales, a file that defines the method functions to be used by C runtime locale-sensitive interfaces. A method file also identifies where the method functions can be found. IBM supplies several method files used to create its standard set of ASCII locales. Other method files can be created to support customised or user-created codepages. Such customised method files replace IBM-supplied charmap method functions with user-written functions.
(2) A file that allows users to indicate to the localedef utility where to look for user-provided methods for processing user-designed codepages.