Can I get the encoding of a text file?

[MattB]

Is there a way to determine the encoding of a text file (like is it
UTF-8 or something else?). I've been fishing around and can't find
anything but it seems like something that should be in there somewhere.
Thanks!

 

[Mythran]

Is there a way to determine the encoding of a text file (like is it UTF-8
or something else?). I've been fishing around and can't find anything but
it seems like something that should be in there somewhere. Thanks!

You can try the following:

Dim sr As StreamReader = New StreamReader("filename.txt", True)
Dim enc As Encoding = fs.CurrentEncoding()

HTH,
Mythran

 

[Joerg Jooss]

You can try the following:

Dim sr As StreamReader = New StreamReader("filename.txt", True)
Dim enc As Encoding = fs.CurrentEncoding()

Well, Matt can try, but won't be that happy with the results.

Only a small set of encodings -- especially Unicode Transformation
Formats -- uses preambles or byte order marks from which you can infer
the encoding. Thus, the problem can be solved for a few special cases,
but not for the general case where the text file could be using any
kind of character encoding.

Cheers,