Convert file content during automated transfers

Two systems can agree on a file name and format but expect different text encodings. A modern application might produce UTF-8 files, while a legacy accounting or ERP system expects ISO-8859-15.

SFTPPlus MFT client-side transfers can convert the content while it moves from the source to the destination. The source file remains unchanged, and the receiving system gets the encoding it expects without a separate conversion script or staging copy.

Content changes are configured with destination content actions. Each action can apply to all source files or only to files selected by a glob or regular expression.

Convert UTF-8 files for a legacy system ​

For example, the following configuration converts CSV files from UTF-8 to ISO-8859-15:

destination_content_actions =
  *.csv, encoding, utf-8-to-iso-8859-15
  *, no-action

If the source contains orders.csv in UTF-8, the destination receives orders.csv in ISO-8859-15. The source copy stays in UTF-8. Files that do not end in .csv match the no-action rule and are transferred without content changes.

Every file must match a rule when destination content actions are enabled. Use a no-action rule when only selected text files need conversion.

Supported text encoding conversions ​

The available encoding actions are:

• utf-8-to-iso-8859-15
• utf-8-to-utf-16
• ascii-to-utf-16
• iso-8859-15-to-utf-8
• utf-16-to-ascii

The action name states the source encoding first and the destination encoding second. For example, use ascii-to-utf-16 when an ASCII source file must arrive as UTF-16.

These actions are intended for text files. Binary files such as images, archives, or PDFs should use no-action. When a UTF-16 source file has no byte order mark (BOM), SFTPPlus treats it as UTF-16 little-endian.

Change the content and file name in one transfer ​

Destination content actions are independent of destination path actions. A transfer can convert a file's encoding and also rename it, place it in a dated folder, flatten its source directory structure, or upload it under a temporary name.

See change file names and paths during automated transfers for destination path examples. The source content conversion documentation contains the full transfer configuration example.