# Iconv does not work with french characters

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/iconv-does-not-work-with-french-characters/90440>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [March 28, 2007, 9:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/iconv-does-not-work-with-french-characters/90440 "2007-03-28T21:42:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jjanauskas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@jjanauskas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jjanauskas)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 9:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/iconv-does-not-work-with-french-characters/90440/1 "2007-03-28T21:42:52Z")

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Hello,

I am trying to convert french characters into latin ones using inconv  
but I face some problems.

Here is what I am doing in ruby console:

> > $KCODE = ‘u’  
> > =\> “u”
> 
> > @x = ‘x éèçà x’  
> > =\> “x éèçà x”
> 
> > Iconv.new(‘US-ASCII//TRANSLIT’, ‘utf-8’).iconv @x  
> > =\> “x ??? x”

And I expect “x eeca x” as output.

ruby --version returns:  
ruby 1.8.2 (2005-04-11) [i386-linux]

iconv --version returns:  
iconv (GNU libiconv 1.11)  
Copyright © 2000-2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is  
NO  
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR  
PURPOSE.  
Written by Bruno Haible.

Maybe somebody knows where is the problem?

–  
Best wishes,  
Justas J.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jjanauskas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@jjanauskas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jjanauskas)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 11:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/iconv-does-not-work-with-french-characters/90440/2 "2007-03-29T11:05:55Z")

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Well, anyone? 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jjanauskas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@jjanauskas](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jjanauskas)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/iconv-does-not-work-with-french-characters/90440/3 "2007-03-29T17:07:17Z")

</div>

On 3/28/07, Justas J. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> > > @x = ‘x éèçà x’  
> > > =\> “x éèçà x”  
> > > Iconv.new(‘US-ASCII//TRANSLIT’, ‘utf-8’).iconv @x  
> > > =\> “x ??? x”
> 
> And I expect “x eeca x” as output.

I’m using ruby 1.8.6 and I get “x 'e`ec`a x” as my result.

Wish I could help, but this is really more of a ruby question. Iconv  
is a ruby standard lib.

–  
Rick O.  
[http://lighthouseapp.com](http://lighthouseapp.com)  
[http://weblog.techno-weenie.net](http://weblog.techno-weenie.net)  
[http://mephistoblog.com](http://mephistoblog.com)