Get encoding of a file in Windows

How to Get the Encoding of a File in Windows? 🤔

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to determine the encoding of a text file in Windows, but you're not sure how to do it? 📄 Don't worry! We've got you covered. In this blog post, we will explore some common issues and provide you with easy solutions to help you find out the encoding of your file. Let's dive in! 💻💪

The Quest for the Encoding - A Common Issue

Today, we have a reader who asked, "Is there a command line or Windows tool to get the current encoding of a text file? I don't want to write code for it if I don't have to." 🤔 This is a common issue faced by many Windows users when trying to determine the encoding of a file without resorting to coding.

1. Use the Command Line – Built-in Tool FTW! 😎

Good news! Windows provides a built-in tool called chcp 🖥️ (Change Code Page) that can help you with this task. Open your command prompt, navigate to the folder where the file is located, and execute the following command:

> chcp

This command will display the active code page of your Windows system. The active code page indicates the encoding that your system is currently using.

2. Harness the Power of PowerShell 💪

If you're more of a PowerShell aficionado, we've got you covered as well! Open PowerShell on your Windows machine, navigate to the desired folder, and run the following command:

> Get-Content -Encoding Byte -TotalCount 3 -ReadCount 0 -Path <file_path>

Replace <file_path> with the path of your file. This command will read the first 3 bytes of your file and display the corresponding encoding. It essentially analyzes the byte order mark (BOM) which many file encodings use to identify themselves.

🎉 Getting the Encoding - Mission Accomplished! 🎉

With these handy techniques, you can easily get the encoding of your file without writing a single line of code! Use the command line or PowerShell, whichever you prefer, and you'll be able to determine the encoding effortlessly. Say goodbye to the days of guesswork! 🙌

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Wrapping Up 🎁

Determining the encoding of a file in Windows doesn't have to be a daunting task anymore. With the help of the built-in chcp command or PowerShell, you can easily find the encoding without writing any code.

Remember, knowledge is power! And now you have the power to conquer the encoding mystery. 💪 Say hello to accurate, hassle-free encoding detection for your files!

👋 Let's Connect!

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