UTF8 Encoding and Decoding

Tool Introduction

This tool is a powerful online UTF8 encoder and decoder, designed for developers and general users, aiming to simplify the conversion process between UTF8 characters and various common encoding formats. It supports bidirectional conversion (encoding and decoding) and can handle multiple encoding modes, including traditional Escape encoding (\x), percent encoding (%XX) commonly used in web development, hexadecimal (0xXX) common in programming, Unicode escape (\uXXXX), and UTF8 encoding with a BOM mark. Whether you need to process web URLs, JSON data, text files, or perform daily character encoding debugging, this tool provides a convenient and efficient solution.

How to Use

1. Enter Text to Process: In the “Before Encoding” text box, enter the original string you need to encode, or in the “After Encoding” text box, enter the encoded string you need to decode. By default, the “Before Encoding” text box will display “Characters to be encoded” as a hint.
2. Select Encoding Mode: According to your needs, select the appropriate encoding type from the “Encoding Mode” dropdown list. Available modes include:
   • Escape Encoding (\x): Converts non-ASCII characters to \xHH form.
   • Percent Encoding (%XX): Commonly used for URL encoding, converts non-alphanumeric characters to %HH form.
   • Hexadecimal (0xXX): Converts each byte to 0xHH form.
   • Unicode Escape (\uXXXX): Converts Unicode characters to \uXXXX form, commonly used in JavaScript, etc.
   • With BOM Mark: Adds a Byte Order Mark before UTF8 encoding.
3. Execute Conversion Operation: According to your operational intent, click the corresponding “Encode” button for encoding, or the “Decode” button for decoding. The conversion result will be displayed in real-time in the other text box.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: What is the difference between UTF8 encoding and Unicode?
  A: Unicode is a character set standard that assigns a unique number (code point) to almost all characters in the world. UTF8 is a variable-length character encoding scheme that encodes Unicode code points into a sequence of 1 to 4 bytes. Simply put, Unicode is the “ID card for characters”, while UTF8 is the method for “how to efficiently store and transmit these ID cards”.
• Q: What is the purpose of UTF8 with a BOM mark?
  A: BOM (Byte Order Mark) is a special byte sequence (EF BB BF) at the beginning of a UTF8 file, mainly used to help programs that are unsure of the file's encoding identify it as UTF8. Although UTF8 itself does not have byte order issues, the presence of BOM can improve compatibility with some software, for example, in Windows systems, Notepad and other programs will add BOM by default when saving UTF8 files.
• Q: Why do I get garbled characters after encoding or decoding?
  A: Garbled characters usually appear due to the following reasons: 1. The input text is not purely UTF8 encoded; 2. When decoding, the selected “Encoding Mode” does not match the original encoding; 3. When encoding, some special characters cannot be displayed correctly in the target system or environment. Please check if your input and selected mode are correct.

Notes

• Please ensure your input text consists of valid UTF8 characters. If non-UTF8 characters are entered, it may lead to encoding failure or garbled output.
• Choosing the correct “Encoding Mode” is crucial for successful conversion. An incorrect mode will lead to encoding or decoding results that do not meet expectations.
• The “With BOM Mark” mode primarily affects the header of the encoded result and is typically used for file storage or specific system compatibility scenarios. It is generally not recommended for web transmission or JSON data.
• When performing URL encoding (percent encoding), please note that space characters are usually encoded as %20 or a plus sign + (this tool defaults to %20).