CHCP: Displays or sets the active code page number.

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19045.3693]
(c) Copyright 1985-2023 Microsoft Corp.

C:\\WINDOWS>

Displays or sets the active code page number.

CHCP [nnn]

  nnn   Specifies a code page number.

Type CHCP without a parameter to display the active code page number.

The `CHCP` command in the Windows Command Prompt is used to change the current code page (character set). Here are some examples with comments: Example 1: Change code page to 1252 (Western European):

CHCP 1252

Description: This command changes the code page to 1252, which corresponds to the Western European character set. Example 2: Change code page to 65001 (UTF-8):

CHCP 65001

Description: Here the code page is changed to 65001, which corresponds to the UTF-8 character set. UTF-8 is often used to support international characters. Example 3: Show current code page:

CHCP

Description: This command displays the current code page without changing it. Example 4: In a batch script, change code page and return to previous code page:

@ECHO OFF
REM Store the current code page in a variable
SET OldCodepage=%chcp%
REM Change the code page to 437 (US)
CHCP 437
REM... do something with the new code page
REM Return to the previous code page
CHCP %OldCodepage%

Description: This example saves the current code page at the beginning of the script, then changes it to 437 (the US code page), and returns to the previous code page at the end of the script. Example 5: Temporarily change code page in a batch file:

@ECHO OFF
REM Temporarily change the code page to 850 for the output
CHCP 850 > NUL
ECHO Change the code page for this output.
REM Return to the previous code page
CHCP > NUL

Description: Here the code page is temporarily changed to 850 for the output of `ECHO` and then reverted to the previous code page. Make sure that the correct code page is set for the needs of your application or task, especially when working with files or text that contain special characters. The `CHCP` command can be used in batch scripts or on the command line to dynamically change the code page.

There are a few important points to note when using the `CHCP` command in the Windows Command Prompt: 1. Valid Code Pages: Make sure the specified code page is valid. Not all code pages are available on every system. It is advisable to use code pages that come standard on most Windows systems. 2. Impact on character representation: Changing the code page can affect the way characters are interpreted and represented. This may affect the display of text in the console or the processing of files. 3. Unicode Support: Note that the `CHCP` functionality is not optimized for Unicode. If you're working with Unicode characters or files, `CHCP` might not be the best choice. In such cases, UTF-8 (`CHCP 65001`) is recommended. 4. Affecting Batch Scripts: If you use the `CHCP` command in a batch script, note that changes to the code page can affect the way the text in the script is interpreted. This can lead to unexpected behavior. 5. Character Processing Limitations: Certain Command Prompt commands and applications may not be optimized for all code pages. This could lead to problems processing certain characters. 6. Transition between code pages: Note that when transitioning between different code pages, some characters may not be displayed correctly. Problems can occur, particularly when switching between code pages with different character sets. 7. Return to previous code page: If you change the code page, you should ensure that you return to the previous code page when your application or script completes. You can temporarily save the previous code page to return to later. 8. Consult Documentation: If you have specific character encoding requirements, consult your application or script's documentation to ensure that the code page you choose is compatible. When working with `CHCP`, it is important to understand its effects on character representation and text processing to avoid unexpected problems. It is also recommended to use modern approaches such as UTF-8, especially when working with international characters or Unicode characters.