All text files, including CSV files, have an ‘encoding’ which describes how to interpret the raw data of the file as text. Sometimes you will need to convert the encoding of a CSV file. For example, one software package may output CSV files with ASCII encoding, but another may expect input CSV files to have UTF-16 encoding.
It is easy to the change the encoding of CSV files in Easy Data Transform:
- Download and install Easy Data Transform on your PC or Mac, if you haven’t done so already. It will only take a minute. There is a fully functional free trial and you don’t have to give us your email or sign up to anything.
- Start Easy Data Transform. Make sure the Auto Run button is pressed in.
- Drag the CSV file or Excel spreadsheet whose encoding you wish to change onto Easy Data Transform. If it is an Excel file with multiple sheets, choose the sheet you want to convert. A pink input item will be added.
- Ensuring the pink input item is selected, click the To File button in the Left pane (scroll to the bottom of the Left pane).
- A window will appear. Choose the file name and location. Choose CSV file for the file type.
- An output item is now added.
- In the Right pane select the new Encoding. If you are outputting to a UTF encoding you can choose whether to output a Byte Order Mark, which helps to identify the file as having a UTF encoding. You can also change the CSV Delimiter.
- The CSV file is updated immediately, no need to ‘run’ anything.
There are 60 encodings to choose from.
If you have many files to convert you can do it using the batch processing feature.
As well as changing file encodings, Easy Data Transform also allows you to combine 66 transforms to quickly and easily create complex data transformations.
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