Character Encoding Issues pasting from Google Docs into Pages

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Character Encoding Issues pasting from Google Docs into Pages

Using Google Docs on Safari, I'm trying to copy (command-C on Mac, not Google Docs copy) a French text selection which has special characters (accents, etc.) into a Pages document. The special characters like é, â show up incorrectly in pages as Ã©, etc.

When I copy the text from Safari's Google Docs window it shows up on the Mac clipboard correctly, can be pasted into BBEdit or TextEdit and it displays correctly with no problem.

However when I paste it into Pages the special characters are wrong. When I use Chrome to display the Google Docs window the copy and paste into Pages does work fine.

I can go to French websites and copy and paste text into Pages no problem. The issue appears to be only using Safari for Google Docs and trying to copy/paste into Pages.

There seems to be a character encoding problem where somehow the pasting process can't handle UTF-8. But that doesn't make total sense to me since it displays on the clipboard OK.

Anybody have any ideas?

p.s. iMac, MacOS 10.15.4, Safari 13.1, Pages 10.0

Posted on Apr 21, 2020 4:51 PM

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Answer 1

DonWC Author

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4 points

Apr 23, 2020 2:23 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks, I understand a lot more now.

By the way, I just discovered a workaround thanks to your help Viking.

After I copy the problem Google Docs text, since I use CloudClip clipboard manager (which contains the last nn copys performed) I just click on the last CloudClip entry which contains the text and which then copies that text back onto the clipboard, then I do a paste and voila—it appears correctly! So it appears CloudClip, at least, is choosing the correct UTI.

Given this situation do you think this is a Page (vs Safari) bug?

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,150 points

Apr 21, 2020 7:35 PM in response to DonWC

Not every application, or browser places the same content, or even same UTI types on the clipboard, and what Pages chooses to use from the clipboard can be different based on the source of that copy onto the clipboard. If you were to open the identical web page in Safari, Chrome, and Firefox, and copy/paste an identical link, each browser will do a better or worse job writing the UTI content to the clipboard.

I can copy a single, plain-text word from Pages 10 to an empty clipboard. That process places 24 distinct UTI on the clipboard. Other applications may or may not find the UTI type that they are programmed to receive from the clipboard during a paste operation.

The result of copying the word here's to the clipboard from Pages 10. This will be different for every application that writes to the clipboard.

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,150 points

Apr 23, 2020 2:13 PM in response to DonWC

The thing is that Google Docs is presenting its content in French (with the underlying Google Docs styling hints) via Safari, and you are likely pasting more content than just accented French text into Pages. The latter may not understand how to cope with the HTML/CSS baggage from the clipboard, as Pages prefers RTF content pasted into it.

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Answer 4

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

121,998 points

Apr 21, 2020 5:18 PM in response to DonWC

DonWC wrote: The issue appears to be only using Safari for Google Docs and trying to copy/paste into Pages.

It's hard to see what might be causing this. In any case, there is nothing in Pages where you can adjust encoding, and in Safari there is only the default setting in Preferences > Advanced. Probably best just use a combination of apps that works right for you, and let Apple know about the issue via

http://www.apple.com/feedback

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Answer 5

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,150 points

Apr 23, 2020 7:28 PM in response to DonWC

I can't say if it is a Pages, or Safari bug. As a fellow user, I have no access ot the code in either application to see what they are placing on the clipboard, and what particular UTI information that Pages is consuming during a paste.

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Answer 6

DonWC Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 21, 2020 6:33 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Thanks for your quick reply Tom. Yeah, I had checked the settings for encoding and Pages doesn't have anything like it but surprisingly TextEdit does—go figure. I use Safari almost exclusively and hate having to switch to Chrome just to cut and paste into Pages. Oh well. Definitely I'll follow your suggestion about giving Apple feedback.

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Answer 7

DonWC Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 23, 2020 1:26 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks for the detailed explanation Viking—very interesting.

What's weird is that when I copy some Google Docs French text with accents **within a Safari window** and paste it into Pages it is not represented correctly. However I can go to a French website in Safari, copy and paste French text with accents, paste it into Pages and it appears correctly. So I guess what you're suggesting is that when Safari copies the text in both of my cases it pastes a different set of UTI types for each case.

Don't you find it strange that in each of my cases, both Apps—Safari and Pages—are the same sending/receiving pair? This seems to be an Apple integration issue in that both Apps involved are theirs.

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Answer 8

DonWC Author

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4 points

Apr 23, 2020 7:40 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks for being so helpful—I appreciate it! I reported it to Apple via feedback to both Pages & Safari.

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Answer 9

TAiS46

Level 1

8 points

Jun 4, 2020 10:25 PM in response to DonWC

I have the same issue with Thai text. It seems like that rich editors are causing a wrong encoding or something when copying. I reported this as well.

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Character Encoding Issues pasting from Google Docs into Pages

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