What represents an "å" in an XML file?

Fredrik · 16th October 2008, 08:50 AM

I'm using an application that let's me make notes about stuff. Those notes are stored in an xml file. Suppose I type an "å" that gets saved in the file. How do I figure out how what data represents that "å" in the file?

If I open the file in a text editor, the å appears as Ã¥ (Wordpad) or A¥ ("vi"). If I open it in a browser, it looks like an å. If I display the contents of the file using "cat -A" in a cygwin bash shell, the å is displayed as M-CM-%.

The first line in the file is <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>.

(I also need to figure out what represents Å, ä, Ä, ö and Ö).

CFLarsen · 16th October 2008, 09:16 AM

Å is the last letter in the Danish alphabet.

Fredrik · 16th October 2008, 09:21 AM

It's also the third from last in the Swedish alphabet. What's your point?

Wudang · 16th October 2008, 09:24 AM

Wordpad and vi don't know about UTF-8 just the standard ascii character sets AFAIK. Only open it with tools that do recognise the UTF-8 (i.e xml-aware tools) and you'll be okay

Fredrik · 16th October 2008, 09:28 AM

Thanks, but I don't want to display it "correctly". I just want to know what this application puts into the file to represent those characters.

theMark · 16th October 2008, 09:28 AM

The encoding of the file is UTF-8, which means (in a quite rough approximation), that the "low" characters 32-127 will be represented by their original characters, and the "special" characters above 127 are represented by two or more characters, starting with the "escape character" that you see as "A". That's why it works in the browser (which knows how to properly handle UTF-8 escapes) and not in Wordpad (which isn't multi-byte aware).

Since I'm on a Mac here, and using TextWrangler for bare-bone text file editing (TW is freeware and has a slew of encodings it understands), I'm not quite sure what would be the right software under Windows. I'd start looking into HTML editors, since they usually know how to handle/switch between various encodings.

Good luck...

This here has more info about the rules of unicode and utf than any sane person should ever want to know...
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/unicode.html

CrikeyBobs · 16th October 2008, 09:45 AM

To see how the application stores the character, first look it up here. This gives the unicode value for the character.

The application you used stores data in UTF-8 format. Using the information here, you can convert the unicode into UTF-8.

With regards to 'å', it has a unicode value of E5. Converting it into UTF-8 results in C3A5. This is what is stored in the file. If this value is treated as 2 characters by applications that do not understand UTF-8 then it will appear as 'Ã¥'.

I hope this helps.

jeremyp · 16th October 2008, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by Fredrik

I'm using an application that let's me make notes about stuff. Those notes are stored in an xml file. Suppose I type an "å" that gets saved in the file. How do I figure out how what data represents that "å" in the file?

If I open the file in a text editor, the å appears as Ã¥ (Wordpad) or A¥ ("vi"). If I open it in a browser, it looks like an å. If I display the contents of the file using "cat -A" in a cygwin bash shell, the å is displayed as M-CM-%.

The first line in the file is <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>.

(I also need to figure out what represents Å, ä, Ä, ö and Ö).

å is c3 a5
ä is c3 a4
Å is c3 85
Ä is c3 84
ö is c3 b6
Ö is c3 96

ddt · 16th October 2008, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Fredrik

I'm using an application that let's me make notes about stuff. Those notes are stored in an xml file. Suppose I type an "å" that gets saved in the file. How do I figure out how what data represents that "å" in the file?

If I open the file in a text editor, the å appears as Ã¥ (Wordpad) or A¥ ("vi"). If I open it in a browser, it looks like an å. If I display the contents of the file using "cat -A" in a cygwin bash shell, the å is displayed as M-CM-%.

The first line in the file is <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>.

(I also need to figure out what represents Å, ä, Ä, ö and Ö).

If you use vim (instead of vi), that is able to recognize the UTF-8 encoding and display correctly these characters. Instead of entering the å character, you could also enter the numeric character reference å . That will get stored as such in the XML file, but an application that just has to display the text will display it as å.

Gagglegnash · 16th October 2008, 03:22 PM

Hi

Get Microsoft's XML Notepad. It's a free download.

I'm pretty sure that you will find that it's represented by, "å."

jeremyp · 17th October 2008, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by jeremyp

å is c3 a5
ä is c3 a4
Å is c3 85
Ä is c3 84
ö is c3 b6
Ö is c3 96

Just to clarify: what I've written here is the sequences of hex numbers you'll see if you open the UTF-8 XML file with a hex editor.

According to the meta tags of this HTML page, the encoding used is ISO-8859-1, so you'd see a different set of hex numbers by putting this page through a hex editor.

Fredrik · 17th October 2008, 04:28 PM

Thanks for all the information guys. My problem was actually solved by the next software update of that application before I had time to try the most interesting suggestions, but at least I learned something.

16th October 2008, 08:50 AM	#1
Fredrik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,912	What represents an "å" in an XML file? I'm using an application that let's me make notes about stuff. Those notes are stored in an xml file. Suppose I type an "å" that gets saved in the file. How do I figure out how what data represents that "å" in the file? If I open the file in a text editor, the å appears as Ã¥ (Wordpad) or A¥ ("vi"). If I open it in a browser, it looks like an å. If I display the contents of the file using "cat -A" in a cygwin bash shell, the å is displayed as M-CM-%. The first line in the file is <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>. (I also need to figure out what represents Å, ä, Ä, ö and Ö).
Fredrik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,912

16th October 2008, 09:16 AM	#2
CFLarsen Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 42,804	Å is the last letter in the Danish alphabet.
	__________________ SkepticReport.com

16th October 2008, 09:21 AM	#3
Fredrik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,912	It's also the third from last in the Swedish alphabet. What's your point?
Fredrik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,912

16th October 2008, 09:24 AM	#4
Wudang BOFH Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Sheffield Posts: 8,243	Wordpad and vi don't know about UTF-8 just the standard ascii character sets AFAIK. Only open it with tools that do recognise the UTF-8 (i.e xml-aware tools) and you'll be okay
	__________________ Aphorism: Subjects most likely to be declared inappropriate for humor are the ones most in need of it. -epepke

16th October 2008, 09:28 AM	#5
Fredrik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,912	Thanks, but I don't want to display it "correctly". I just want to know what this application puts into the file to represent those characters.
Fredrik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,912

16th October 2008, 09:28 AM	#6
theMark Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Stuck in Old Europe and the 80s, where the music is better than today Posts: 310	You need to find a better text editor ;) The encoding of the file is UTF-8, which means (in a quite rough approximation), that the "low" characters 32-127 will be represented by their original characters, and the "special" characters above 127 are represented by two or more characters, starting with the "escape character" that you see as "A". That's why it works in the browser (which knows how to properly handle UTF-8 escapes) and not in Wordpad (which isn't multi-byte aware). Since I'm on a Mac here, and using TextWrangler for bare-bone text file editing (TW is freeware and has a slew of encodings it understands), I'm not quite sure what would be the right software under Windows. I'd start looking into HTML editors, since they usually know how to handle/switch between various encodings. Good luck... This here has more info about the rules of unicode and utf than any sane person should ever want to know... http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/unicode.html
	__________________ ^{"I may not know what's right / but I know this can't be it. I'm never satisfied / when the answers could be real." Title: Unsatisfaction - by: Men Without Hats} Last edited by theMark; 16th October 2008 at 09:31 AM. Reason: Added link to unicode faq

16th October 2008, 09:45 AM	#7
CrikeyBobs Critical Thinker Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London Posts: 421	To see how the application stores the character, first look it up here. This gives the unicode value for the character. The application you used stores data in UTF-8 format. Using the information here, you can convert the unicode into UTF-8. With regards to 'å', it has a unicode value of E5. Converting it into UTF-8 results in C3A5. This is what is stored in the file. If this value is treated as 2 characters by applications that do not understand UTF-8 then it will appear as 'Ã¥'. I hope this helps.

16th October 2008, 01:02 PM	#8
jeremyp Thinker Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Reading, UK Posts: 223	Originally Posted by Fredrik I'm using an application that let's me make notes about stuff. Those notes are stored in an xml file. Suppose I type an "å" that gets saved in the file. How do I figure out how what data represents that "å" in the file? If I open the file in a text editor, the å appears as Ã¥ (Wordpad) or A¥ ("vi"). If I open it in a browser, it looks like an å. If I display the contents of the file using "cat -A" in a cygwin bash shell, the å is displayed as M-CM-%. The first line in the file is <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>. (I also need to figure out what represents Å, ä, Ä, ö and Ö). å is c3 a5 ä is c3 a4 Å is c3 85 Ä is c3 84 ö is c3 b6 Ö is c3 96

16th October 2008, 02:58 PM	#9
ddt Mafia Penguin Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Netherlands Posts: 10,323	Originally Posted by Fredrik I'm using an application that let's me make notes about stuff. Those notes are stored in an xml file. Suppose I type an "å" that gets saved in the file. How do I figure out how what data represents that "å" in the file? If I open the file in a text editor, the å appears as Ã¥ (Wordpad) or A¥ ("vi"). If I open it in a browser, it looks like an å. If I display the contents of the file using "cat -A" in a cygwin bash shell, the å is displayed as M-CM-%. The first line in the file is <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>. (I also need to figure out what represents Å, ä, Ä, ö and Ö). If you use vim (instead of vi), that is able to recognize the UTF-8 encoding and display correctly these characters. Instead of entering the å character, you could also enter the numeric character reference å . That will get stored as such in the XML file, but an application that just has to display the text will display it as å.
	__________________ Proud member of the Solipsistic Autosycophant's Group

16th October 2008, 03:22 PM	#10
Gagglegnash Graduate Poster Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,447	Hi Get Microsoft's XML Notepad. It's a free download. I'm pretty sure that you will find that it's represented by, "å."
	__________________ But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. -----Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782 Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear. -----Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787 Last edited by Gagglegnash; 16th October 2008 at 03:27 PM.

17th October 2008, 02:20 PM	#11
jeremyp Thinker Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Reading, UK Posts: 223	Originally Posted by jeremyp å is c3 a5 ä is c3 a4 Å is c3 85 Ä is c3 84 ö is c3 b6 Ö is c3 96 Just to clarify: what I've written here is the sequences of hex numbers you'll see if you open the UTF-8 XML file with a hex editor. According to the meta tags of this HTML page, the encoding used is ISO-8859-1, so you'd see a different set of hex numbers by putting this page through a hex editor.

17th October 2008, 04:28 PM	#12
Fredrik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,912	Thanks for all the information guys. My problem was actually solved by the next software update of that application before I had time to try the most interesting suggestions, but at least I learned something.
Fredrik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,912