Convert to Unicode (UTF-8)

Convert to Unicode (UTF-8) transcodes plain text files from a known source encoding, such as Windows-1252 or Shift-JIS, into UTF-8. This helps avoid garbled characters when files come from systems that don't use UTF-8 by default.

Availability: Requires the WorkflowsTranscode feature. Contact your OneSchema support representative if you do not see this transform.

What it does

• Input: files or lists.
• Output: the same file or list, re-encoded as UTF-8.
• The transform reads the file using the source encoding you specify and rewrites it as UTF-8, preserving the original characters.

When to use it

• A vendor's system exports files in a legacy encoding (for example, Latin-1 or Windows-1252) and special characters like accented letters or currency symbols appear garbled downstream.
• You need a consistent encoding across a feed that receives files from multiple regional source systems.
• Validation or delivery steps require UTF-8 input and are rejecting or mangling non-UTF-8 files.

How to configure it

In the MFF builder, add a Convert to Unicode (UTF-8) node after the node that produces the file or list.

Settings

Example

Input

A CSV exported from a legacy Windows system, encoded as Windows-1252, containing the value Café.

Output

The same CSV re-encoded as UTF-8, with Café preserved correctly instead of appearing as Café.

Troubleshooting

Characters still look garbled after conversion

• Double-check that the Source encoding setting matches the file's actual original encoding. An incorrect guess will produce different, still-incorrect characters.

I don't know the source encoding

• Ask the file's sender what system generated it; common defaults include Windows-1252 for Windows exports and Shift-JIS or EUC-JP for Japanese systems.

See also

• Decrypt file