(Converting Between Files Types)
(Converting Between Files Types)
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===Confirm File Type===
 
===Confirm File Type===
  

Revision as of 19:27, 27 January 2017


This article shows how to convert between different file types and perform other useful conversions.

  • Converting between Windows/DOS, UNIX/Linux and Macintosh text files.
  • Converting from fixed-length records into normal text files.
  • Converting a text file into fixed-length records.
  • Padding a text file to make all lines the same length.
  • Stripping trailing spaces from a text file.

Converting Between Files Types

vEdit supports Windows/DOS, UNIX/Linux and Mac text files. Main differences between them are the “newline” characters used at the end of each line. vEdit also supports data files with fixed-length records.

When opening a file, vEdit automatically determines the most likely file type. It can usually determine the correct file type for text files (Windows/DOS, UNIX/Linux or Mac). It is highly recommended confirming the file type before doing file converting.


Confirm File Type

1. Move the cursor to the end of a line 2. Press Alt-D (the hot-key for View > Toggle display mode)

You can now see the hex codes for the “newline” characters, if any. “0D” is the hex code for Carriage-Return. “0A” is the hex code for Line-Feed.

Windows / DOS
If each line ends in “0D 0A”, you have a Windows/DOS text file.
Linux / UNIX
If each line ends in just “0A”, you have a UNIX text file.
Apple Mac
If each line ends in just “0D”, you have a Mac text file.

If you don't see “0D” or “0A”, then you must have already explicitly set a record-length with CONFIG > File handling > File type.

3. Double-check that CONFIG > File handling > File type is set to the correct file type.

Windows/DOS
Windows set to “0”
Linux / UNIX
Linux set to “1”
Apple Mac
Mac set to “2”

Otherwise, it is set to the data file's record length.