hi anton you can try utf8_encode function of php .it worked for me in a similar situation.
Cheers................. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue, May 20, 2008 at 1:39 AM Subject: php-windows Digest 19 May 2008 13:39:11 -0000 Issue 3474 To: php-windows@lists.php.net php-windows Digest 19 May 2008 13:39:11 -0000 Issue 3474 Topics (messages 28901 through 28901): Working with Excel csv retrieved data (using fgetcsv) and unknown characters 28901 by: Anton Heuschen Administrivia: To subscribe to the digest, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe from the digest, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To post to the list, e-mail: php-windows@lists.php.net ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Anton Heuschen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: php-windows@lists.php.net Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 15:39:06 +0200 Subject: Working with Excel csv retrieved data (using fgetcsv) and unknown characters This is run on an XP box with WAMP install: I have a script that downloads a Excel CSV file and then uses fgetscv to retrieve lines, the strange thing is that in Firefox I get symbols (black triangle with question mark in it) and in IE its basically spaces. So if I echo these values (or print_r array result, my text string has spaces), Ive tried opening it in Notepad etc to see what characters or codes these spaces are, but it shows nothing. Ive opened it in PSPad and its shows only as unknown characters (square blocks). Im suspecting it might be tabs ? Is there a way to remove any "unknown" characters from a line retrieved with fgetsv ? the getscv line used: $handle = fopen($local_file, "r"); while(($data = @fgetcsv($handle,1000,",")) !== FALSE) { if I print out (print_r) this $data I get something like : _�2�0�0�8�0�4�0�3� �1�4�2�0�5�1�0�0�Array ( [0] => ÿþE�v�e�n�t�:� �A�B�C�-�0�0�0�1�8� [1] => �2� [2] => �3� There should be no question mark symbols but should rather look like: _20080403 14205100Array ( [0] => ÿþEvent: ACC-10018 [1] => 2 [2] => 3 -- Regards Sandeep Khokher