How to Convert Non-English Characters to English Alphabet in Java?

Converting Non-English Characters to English Alphabet in Java

Non-English characters can pose challenges when working with text data. To streamline processing, it is often necessary to convert these characters to their English alphabet equivalents. This task can be daunting, given the vast number of Unicode characters.

Problem Statement

The challenge lies in identifying and converting similar characters from the Unicode chart to letters in the English alphabet. For instance, several variations of the letter "A" exist, making classification difficult.

Solution

To address this issue in Java, you can leverage the Normalizer class and regular expressions. The following approach simplifies the conversion process:

1. Normalize the String:

   • Use Normalizer.normalize(str, Normalizer.Form.NFD) to decompose the accented characters into their base characters followed by their combining diacritics.

2. Remove Diacritics:

   • Employ a regular expression to remove the combining diacritics. Here's an example: Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("\p{InCombiningDiacriticalMarks} ");

3. Replace Diacritics:

   • Use matcher.replaceAll("") to replace the combining diacritics with an empty string.

This method primarily removes diacritical marks (accents) from accented characters, effectively converting them to their English alphabet equivalents.

Example

The following Java code demonstrates this approach:

import java.text.Normalizer;
import java.util.regex.Pattern;

public class ConvertAccentedCharsToEnglish {

    public static String deAccent(String str) {
        String nfdNormalizedString = Normalizer.normalize(str, Normalizer.Form.NFD);
        Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("\p{InCombiningDiacriticalMarks}+");
        return pattern.matcher(nfdNormalizedString).replaceAll("");
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String accentedString = "tђє Ŧค๓เℓy";
        String convertedString = deAccent(accentedString);
        System.out.println(convertedString); // Output: the Family
    }
}

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