Question

readFile "file.html"
"start of the file... *** Exception: file.html: hGetContents: invalid argument (invalid code page byte sequence)

It’s a UTF-8 file created with notepad++… how can I read the file in haskell?

Answer 1

By default, files are read in the system locale, so if you have a file using a non-standard encoding, you need to set the encoding of the file handle yourself.

foo = do
    handle <- openFile "file.html" ReadMode
    hSetEncoding handle utf8_bom
    contents <- hGetContents handle
    doSomethingWithContents
    hClose handle

should get you started. Note that this contains no error handling, the better way would thus be

import Control.Exception -- for bracket

foo = bracket
        (openFile "file.html" ReadMode >>= \h -> hSetEncoding h utf8_bom >> return h)
        hClose
        (\h -> hGetContents h >>= doSomething)

or

foo = withFile "file.html" ReadMode $
        \h -> do hSetEncoding h utf8_bom
                 contents <- hGetContents h
                 doSomethingWith contents