Saving an empty UTF-8 .txt file converts it to ANSI

[klonos]

Steps to reproduce:

1. By default windows creates .txt files in ANSI encoding. Create one by using built-in notepad.
2. Open the file created in step 1 with notepad2-mod.
3. Change it's encoding to UTF-8 (file -> encoding -> UTF-8)
4. Save the file and close it.
5. Open the file.

Expected result: the file should be in UTF-8 Actual result: the file is reverted to ANSI

Another way:

1. Create a file with notepad. It will be in the default ANSI encoding.
2. Open the file with built-in notepad and save as UTF-8 replacing the old one.
3. Close the file.
4. Open it with notpad2-mod. The file is in UTF-8.
5. Close the file without editing it.
6. Open the file again with notepad2-mod. The file is still in UTF-8.
7. Edit the file (type a few chars will do) and close/save.
8. Open the file.

Expected result: the file should be in UTF-8 Actual result: the file is reverted to ANSI

[XhmikosR]

Unless a patch is provided nothing can be fixed. And/or Report it to the Notepad2 developer.

[zufuliu]

Windows notepad save file as UTF-8 with BOM (or "UTF-8 Signature" in Notepad2), other than "UTF-8" in Notepad2.

[XhmikosR]

Still. No patch, no joy.

[QWp6t]

The point of the signature is to let editors know that it's UTF-8 encoded when there are no multi-byte characters. Whether it defaults to UTF-8 or ANSI in such instances where it is otherwise impossible to tell is already a setting in Notepad2.

Go to File->Encoding->Default and choose UTF-8 from the dropdown.

This also means that if you save a blank file as ANSI, it will now be opened as UTF-8.

Again, though, if you want to avoid these problems of it not being able to tell how to encode the file, then use UTF-8 with signature. That's the point of the signature.

[QWp6t]

@XhmikosR shouldn't this be closed and marked as "invalid" as explained above? Or is there something I'm missing?

[XhmikosR]

I guess so, yes.