# Ruby spreadsheet german umlaute

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-spreadsheet-german-umlaute/190183>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [June 17, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-spreadsheet-german-umlaute/190183 "2010-06-17T16:22:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zak)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-spreadsheet-german-umlaute/190183/1 "2010-06-17T16:22:13Z")

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Hi!

I’m having a problem with ruby’s spreadsheet gem.  
while  
book = Spreadsheet.open ‘aou/a.xls’  
works,  
book = Spreadsheet.open ‘äöü/a.xls’  
does not (both paths exist).

is there a solution?

regards!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zak)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-spreadsheet-german-umlaute/190183/2 "2010-06-17T16:26:22Z")

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> is there a solution?
> 
> regards!

Hi,

Are you running Windows with Ruby 1.9.1? I know that unicode filename  
support in Windows is kind of buggy. I’ve seen it suggested that  
upgrading  
to the ruby-1.9.2-preview helps a lot, you might try that.

-Jonathan N.

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**Author:** ![zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zak)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-spreadsheet-german-umlaute/190183/3 "2010-06-17T16:34:42Z")

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On 15 Jun., 15:32, Jonathan N. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> > regards!
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Are you running Windows with Ruby 1.9.1? I know that unicode filename  
> support in Windows is kind of buggy. I’ve seen it suggested that upgrading  
> to the ruby-1.9.2-preview helps a lot, you might try that.
> 
> -Jonathan N.

Hello,

I’m still sticking to 1.8.6…so probably updating is agood idea 🙂

Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zak)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-spreadsheet-german-umlaute/190183/4 "2010-06-17T16:35:19Z")

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> Hello,
> 
> I’m still sticking to 1.8.6…so probably updating is agood idea 🙂
> 
> Thanks

If you are using a 1.8.x, it might be as simple as setting $KCODE to ‘U’  
or  
running ruby with -KU

Try it out anyway, I don’t know if that works or not…

-Jonathan N.