File Encoding Converter to UTF-8

This script converts a file of unknown encoding to UTF-8. It supports automatic encoding detection using uchardet or allows the user to specify the input encoding manually. The script leverages iconv to perform the actual conversion.

Features

• Automatic Encoding Detection: Uses uchardet to detect the file encoding if not specified.

• Manual Encoding Specification: Allows specifying the input encoding via a command-line option.

• Custom Output Naming: The output file name can be customized.

• Error Handling: Provides informative error messages for missing dependencies or invalid input.

Dependencies

• uchardet: For automatic encoding detection.

• iconv: For converting the file to UTF-8.

Install these tools if they are not already available on your machine:

Debian-based systems

sudo apt-get install uchardet iconv

Red Hat-based systems

sudo yum install uchardet iconv

Usage

Firstly, you may need to make the script executable before you can run it via the following command: chmod +x convert.sh

Below shows how to use the script: ./convert.sh [-o output] [-f input_encoding] [-h] <input_file>

Options

-o aka output: Specify the output file name (without extension).

-f or --from aka the "from" encoding: Specify the encoding of the input file (Only use if you already know the encoding and wish to skip auto-detection).

-h, --help: Display the help message.

Example Commands

Convert a file with auto-detected encoding:

./convert.sh example.txt

Convert a file with a specified encoding:

./convert.sh -f ISO-8859-1 example.txt

Convert and specify an output file name:

./convert.sh -o converted_file.txt -f UTF-16 input.txt

Potential Errors

• Missing Dependencies: The script will alert you if uchardet is not installed when automatic detection is needed.

• File Not Found: The script checks if the input file exists before proceeding.

• Conversion Errors: If iconv fails, an error message is displayed.

License

This script is provided under the MIT License.