.TH "autotoc_md280" 3elektra "Sun Nov 15 2020" "Version 0.9.3" "Elektra" \" -*- nroff -*-
.ad l
.nh
.SH NAME
autotoc_md280Plugin: iconv 
 \- 
.IP "\(bu" 2
infos = Information about iconv plugin is in keys below
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infos/author = Markus Raab elektra@libelektra.org
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infos/licence = BSD
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infos/provides = conv
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infos/needs =
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infos/placements = postgetstorage presetstorage
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infos/status = maintained unittest libc
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infos/description = Converts values of keys between charsets
.PP
.PP
This plugin is a filter plugin that converts between different character encodings\&.
.PP
Consider a user insisting on a \fClatin1\fP character encoding because of some old application\&. All other users already use, for example, \fCUTF-8\fP\&. For these users, the configuration files are encoded in \fCUTF-8\fP\&. So we need a solution for the user with \fClatin1\fP to access the key database with proper encoding\&.
.PP
On the other hand, contemplate an XML file which requires a specific encoding\&. But the other key databases work well with the users encoding\&. So a quick fix for that backend is needed to feed that XML file with a different encoding\&.
.PP
The iconv plugin provides a solution for both scenarios\&. It converts between many available character encodings\&. With the plugin’s configuration the user can change the from and to encoding\&. The default values of the plugin configuration are: \fCfrom\fP encoding will be determined at run-time\&. \fCto\fP encoding is \fCUTF-8\fP\&.
.PP
Parameters:
.PP
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\fCto\fP is per default UTF-8, to have unicode configuration files
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\fCfrom\fP is per default the users locale
.PP
.PP
Note that for writing the configuration \fCfrom\fP and \fCto\fP is swapped\&. A key database that requires a specific encoding can make use of it\&. To sum up, every user can select a different encoding, but the key databases are still properly encoded for anyone\&.
.PP
For example \fCiconv/iconv\&.ini\fP should be \fClatin1\fP, but all users have \fCUTF-8\fP settings:
.PP
``\fC @section autotoc_md283 Mount the file\fPiconv/iconv\&.ini\fCusing the\fPmini\fCplugin together with\fPiconv` sudo kdb mount '$PWD/src/plugins/iconv/iconv/iconv\&.ini' system/tests/iconv mini iconv from=UTF-8,to=ISO-8859-1
.SH "Check the file type of the mounted file"
.PP
file -b '`kdb file system/tests/iconv`' #> ISO-8859 text
.PP
kdb get system/tests/iconv/a # converts ISO-8859 to UTF-8 #> hellö
.PP
kdb set system/tests/iconv/a öäß # converts UTF-8 to ISO-8859 kdb get system/tests/iconv/a #> öäß
.SH "Cleanup"
.PP
kdb set system/tests/iconv/a hellö sudo kdb umount system/tests/iconv ```