---
name: "MARC::Charset"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "libmarc-charset-perl"
version: "1.35-4"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/MARC::Charset"
---

# MARC::Charset(3pm)

convert MARC-8 encoded strings to UTF-8

## NAME

MARC::Charset - convert MARC-8 encoded strings to UTF-8

## SYNOPSIS

```
    # import the marc8_to_utf8 function
    use MARC::Charset 'marc8_to_utf8';

    # prepare STDOUT for utf8
    binmode(STDOUT, 'utf8');
    # print out some marc8 as utf8
    print marc8_to_utf8($marc8_string);
```

## DESCRIPTION

MARC::Charset allows you to turn MARC-8 encoded strings into UTF-8 strings. MARC-8 is a single byte character encoding that predates unicode, and allows you to put non-Roman scripts in MARC bibliographic records.

```
    http://www.loc.gov/marc/specifications/spechome.html
```

## EXPORTS

### ignore\_errors()

Tells MARC::Charset whether or not to ignore all encoding errors, and returns the current setting.  This is helpful if you have records that contain both MARC8 and UNICODE characters.

```
    my $ignore = MARC::Charset->ignore_errors();

    MARC::Charset->ignore_errors(1); # ignore errors
    MARC::Charset->ignore_errors(0); # DO NOT ignore errors
```

### assume\_unicode()

Tells MARC::Charset whether or not to assume UNICODE when an error is encountered in ignore\_errors mode and returns the current setting. This is helpful if you have records that contain both MARC8 and UNICODE characters.

```
    my $setting = MARC::Charset->assume_unicode();

    MARC::Charset->assume_unicode(1); # assume characters are unicode (utf-8)
    MARC::Charset->assume_unicode(0); # DO NOT assume characters are unicode
```

### assume\_encoding()

Tells MARC::Charset whether or not to assume a specific encoding when an error is encountered in ignore\_errors mode and returns the current setting.  This is helpful if you have records that contain both MARC8 and other characters.

```
    my $setting = MARC::Charset->assume_encoding();

    MARC::Charset->assume_encoding('cp850'); # assume characters are cp850
    MARC::Charset->assume_encoding(''); # DO NOT assume any encoding
```

### marc8\_to\_utf8()

Converts a MARC-8 encoded string to UTF-8.

```
    my $utf8 = marc8_to_utf8($marc8);
```

If you'd like to ignore errors pass in a true value as the 2nd  parameter or call MARC::Charset-\>**ignore\_errors()** with a true value:

```
    my $utf8 = marc8_to_utf8($marc8, 'ignore-errors');
  or

    MARC::Charset->ignore_errors(1);
    my $utf8 = marc8_to_utf8($marc8);
```

### utf8\_to\_marc8()

Will attempt to translate utf8 into marc8.

```
    my $marc8 = utf8_to_marc8($utf8);
```

If you'd like to ignore errors, or characters that can't be converted to marc8 then pass in a true value as the second parameter:

```
    my $marc8 = utf8_to_marc8($utf8, 'ignore-errors');
  or

    MARC::Charset->ignore_errors(1);
    my $utf8 = marc8_to_utf8($marc8);
```

## DEFAULT CHARACTER SETS

If you need to alter the default character sets you can set the  `$MARC::Charset::DEFAULT_G0` and `$MARC::Charset::DEFAULT_G1` variables to the  appropriate character set code:

```
    use MARC::Charset::Constants qw(:all);
    $MARC::Charset::DEFAULT_G0 = BASIC_ARABIC;
    $MARC::Charset::DEFAULT_G1 = EXTENDED_ARABIC;
```

## SEE ALSO

- •

  MARC::Charset::Constant

- •

  MARC::Charset::Table

- •

  MARC::Charset::Code

- •

  MARC::Charset::Compiler

- •

  MARC::Record

- •

  MARC::XML

## AUTHOR

Ed Summers (ehs@pobox.com)