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--- Knud van Eeden --- 31 May 2009 - 09:15 am ------------------------

Computer: Editor: TSE: File: Format: ASCII: Unicode: Operation: Convert: How to save an ASCII file as a UTF-8 file?

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A UTF-8 file is a file starting with the three bytes 0xEF, 0xBB, 0xBF
followed by zero or more characters (1, 2, 3 or 4 bytes per character).

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In the special case of an ASCII character, 1 byte per character will be used,
that is the character itself, so in general nothing more should have to be done.

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So to convert from ASCII to UTF-8:

 1. -In this program the 3 bytes are inserted in the beginning of the file

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Note:

The result has been tested for a few files only, and worked OK there.

 1. -Creating or loading some ASCII file

 2. -Then loading and saving the same ASCII file in TSE using this macro

 3. -Then loading and saving the same ASCII file in Notepad in UTF-8 format

 4. -The result was compared for differences

     1. -Visually in TSE using the hex editor in a horizontally split window
         with the two UTF-8 files created by Notepad and TSE loaded.


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Steps: Overview:

 1. -E.g. create the following program:

--- cut here: begin --------------------------------------------------


FORWARD PROC Main()


// --- MAIN --- //

STRING fileNameInputGS[255] = "" // global variable
STRING fileNameOutputGS[255] = "" // global variable
//
PROC Main()
 IF NOT AskFilename( "file: save: change: convert: save: ascii: to: unicode: fileNameAsciiS = ", fileNameInputGS, _DEFAULT_, _EDIT_HISTORY_ ) RETURN() ENDIF
 IF NOT AskFilename( "file: save: change: convert: save: ascii: to: unicode: fileNameUnicodeS = ", fileNameOutputGS, _DEFAULT_, _EDIT_HISTORY_ ) RETURN() ENDIF
 PROCFileSaveChangeConvertAsciiToUnicodeUtf8B( fileNameInputGS, fileNameOutputGS )
END

<F12> Main()

// --- LIBRARY --- //

// library: file: save: change: convert: ascii: to: unicode: utf8 <description></description> <version>1.0.0.0.7</version> (filenamemacro=savefiuu.s) [kn, ri, sa, 30-05-2009 21:07:17]
PROC PROCFileSaveChangeConvertAsciiToUnicodeUtf8B( STRING fileNameAsciiS, STRING fileNameUtf8S )
 // e.g. STRING fileNameInputGS[255] = "" // global variable
 // e.g. STRING fileNameOutputGS[255] = "" // global variable
 // e.g. //
 // e.g. PROC Main()
 // e.g.  IF NOT AskFilename( "file: save: change: convert: save: ascii: to: unicode: fileNameAsciiS = ", fileNameInputGS, _DEFAULT_, _EDIT_HISTORY_ ) RETURN() ENDIF
 // e.g.  IF NOT AskFilename( "file: save: change: convert: save: ascii: to: unicode: fileNameUnicodeS = ", fileNameOutputGS, _DEFAULT_, _EDIT_HISTORY_ ) RETURN() ENDIF
 // e.g.  PROCFileSaveChangeConvertAsciiToUnicodeUtf8B( fileNameInputGS, fileNameOutputGS )
 // e.g. END
 // e.g.
 // e.g. <F12> Main()
 //
 // Method: only add a 3 byte marker (=BOM) in the beginning of the file
 //
 // *If* the given file is a pure ASCII file, then
 //  you only have to
 //
 //  1. insert a 3 byte marker (0xEF, 0xBB, 0xBF)
 //
 //  2. and because the ASCII characters are unchanged converted to
 //     their UTF-8 presentation, you do not have to do anything more
 //
 EditFile( fileNameAsciiS )
 //
 SaveAs( fileNameUtf8S, _OVERWRITE_ )
 //
 EditFile( fileNameUtf8S )
 //
 BegFile()
 //
 InsertText( Chr( 0xEF ), _INSERT_ )
 //
 InsertText( Chr( 0xBB ), _INSERT_ )
 //
 InsertText( Chr( 0xBF ), _INSERT_ )
 //
 SaveFile()
 //
END

--- cut here: end ----------------------------------------------------

 2. -Run the program

 3. -Input the ASCII filename

 4. -Input the UTF-8 filename in which to store the result

 5. -Tested successfully on
     Microsoft Windows XP Professional (service pack 3),
     running
     TSE v4.x

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