# Error trying to import é

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-trying-to-import-a/134697>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [April 14, 2008, 6:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-trying-to-import-a/134697 "2008-04-14T06:30:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![boowebb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/e47774/32.png) [@boowebb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/boowebb)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 6:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-trying-to-import-a/134697/1 "2008-04-14T06:30:55Z")

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I am trying to import data from text files and several of the files  
contain accented e’s.

I am reading the files through the File object. My MySQL db is setup  
as UTF8. On Rails 2.0.2.

The error I get is "incorrect string value: ‘\xE9…’ for column XXX

This would seem to indicate that the file did not open with the proper  
encoding but I don’t see anything in the File class that would let me  
change that.

Anyone have any ideas?

Jeff