---
name: "piconv"
section: "1perl"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl"
version: "5.44.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/piconv/1perl"
---

# piconv(1perl)

## NAME

piconv -- [iconv(1)](/iconv/1.md), reinvented in perl

## SYNOPSIS

```
  piconv [-f from_encoding] [-t to_encoding]
         [-p|--perlqq|--htmlcref|--xmlcref] [-C N|-c] [-D] [-S scheme]
         [-s string|file...]
  piconv -l
  piconv -r encoding_alias
  piconv -h
```

## DESCRIPTION

**piconv** is perl version of **iconv**, a character encoding converter widely available for various Unixen today.  This script was primarily a technology demonstrator for Perl 5.8.0, but you can use piconv in the place of iconv for virtually any case.

piconv converts the character encoding of either STDIN or files specified in the argument and prints out to STDOUT.

Here is the list of options.  Some options can be in short format (-f) or long (--from) one.

- \-f,--from *from\_encoding*

  Specifies the encoding you are converting from.  Unlike **iconv**, this option can be omitted.  In such cases, the current locale is used.

- \-t,--to *to\_encoding*

  Specifies the encoding you are converting to.  Unlike **iconv**, this option can be omitted.  In such cases, the current locale is used.

  Therefore, when both -f and -t are omitted, **piconv** just acts like **cat**.

- \-s,--string *string*

  uses *string* instead of file for the source of text.

- \-l,--list

  Lists all available encodings, one per line, in case-insensitive order.  Note that only the canonical names are listed; many aliases exist.  For example, the names are case-insensitive, and many standard and common aliases work, such as "latin1" for "ISO-8859-1", or "ibm850" instead of "cp850", or "winlatin1" for "cp1252".  See Encode::Supported for a full discussion.

- \-r,--resolve *encoding\_alias*

  Resolve *encoding\_alias* to Encode canonical encoding name.

- \-C,--check *N*

  Check the validity of the stream if *N* = 1.  When *N* = -1, something interesting happens when it encounters an invalid character.

- \-c

  Same as `"-C 1"`.

- \-p,--perlqq

  Transliterate characters missing in encoding to \\x{HHHH} where HHHH is the hexadecimal Unicode code point.

- \--htmlcref

  Transliterate characters missing in encoding to &#NNN; where NNN is the decimal Unicode code point.

- \--xmlcref

  Transliterate characters missing in encoding to &#xHHHH; where HHHH is the hexadecimal Unicode code point.

- \-h,--help

  Show usage.

- \-D,--debug

  Invokes debugging mode.  Primarily for Encode hackers.

- \-S,--scheme *scheme*

  Selects which scheme is to be used for conversion.  Available schemes are as follows:

  - from\_to

    Uses Encode::from\_to for conversion.  This is the default.

  - decode\_encode

    Input strings are **decode()**d then **encode()**d.  A straight two-step implementation.

  - perlio

    The new perlIO layer is used.  NI-S' favorite.

    You should use this option if you are using UTF-16 and others which linefeed is not $/.

  Like the *-D* option, this is also for Encode hackers.

## SEE ALSO

[**iconv**(1)](/iconv/1.md) **locale**(3) Encode Encode::Supported Encode::Alias PerlIO