convert UTF-8 to Ansi text, on the Windows command line with the free Open Source tool Swiss File Knife.

• Download the free Swiss File Knife Base from Sourceforge.
• Open the Windows CMD command line, Mac OS X Terminal or Linux shell.
• OS X : type mv sfk-mac-64.exe sfk and chmod +x sfk then ./sfk
• Linux: type mv sfk-linux-64.exe sfk and chmod +x sfk then ./sfk. OS X and Linux syntax may differ, check the help within the tool.

sfk utoa [infile]

convert UTF-8 to Ansi text. only characters
contained in the current codepage can be converted.

options
  -nostop      if some chars cannot be converted
               then do not stop, show no warning,
               set return code 1 instead of 9.
  -tofile x    write output to file x
  -i           read from stdin
  -codepage=n  change codepage. for details
               type: sfk listcodes
  -showfail    tell which unicode characters
               failed to convert
  -justfail    show only the failed codes
               but no output text

command chaining support
   accepts text or binary from a previous command.

return code
   0 = ok, all characters converted.
   if conversion is incomplete:
   default: rc 9, chaining stops.
   -nostop: rc 1.

aliases
  sfk utftoansi    same as utoa
  sfk listcodes    list available characters
                   of your Ansi codepage

see also
  sfk atou    convert Ansi to UTF-8

examples
  sfk utoa inutf.txt
    convert utf to ansi and print to terminal.
  sfk load inutf.txt +utoa
    convert chain text.
  type inutf.txt | sfk utoa -i
    use sfk as a filter in a batch
  sfk utoa inutf.txt -tofile out.txt
   +if "rc<>0" stop 9 "failed to convert"
   +tell "conversion done"
    within an sfk script: stop if the input text
    contains chars that cannot be converted.
  sfk utoa inutf.txt
  IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO Error01
    in a windows batch file: jump to label Error01
    if input fails to convert to Ansi.

sfk utoa [infile]

convert UTF-8 to Ansi text. only characters
contained in the current codepage can be 
converted.

options
  -nostop      if some chars cannot be 
               converted then do not stop,
               show no warning, set return
               code 1 instead of 9.
  -tofile x    write output to file x
  -i           read from stdin
  -codepage=n  change codepage. for details
               type: sfk listcodes
  -showfail    tell which unicode characters
               failed to convert
  -justfail    show only the failed codes
               but no output text

command chaining support
   accepts text or binary from a previous 
   command.

return code
   0 = ok, all characters converted.
   if conversion is incomplete:
   default: rc 9, chaining stops.
   -nostop: rc 1.

aliases
  sfk utftoansi    same as utoa
  sfk listcodes    list available 
                   characters of your Ansi
                   codepage

see also
  sfk atou    convert Ansi to UTF-8


examples
  sfk utoa inutf.txt
    convert utf to ansi and print to 
    terminal.
  sfk load inutf.txt +utoa
    convert chain text.
  type inutf.txt | sfk utoa -i
    use sfk as a filter in a batch
  sfk utoa inutf.txt -tofile out.txt
   +if "rc<>0" stop 9 "failed to 
   convert" +tell "conversion done"
    within an sfk script: stop if the input 
                          text
    contains chars that cannot be converted.
  sfk utoa inutf.txt
  IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO Error01
    in a windows batch file: jump to label 
    Error01 if input fails to convert to
    Ansi.

read more about all sfk functions

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