By the AquaMoon project · Updated September 12, 2026. Examples are for the current Yijiang text tools.
Three reproducible case studies
Compare actual results, inspect a documented conversion failure, and test decoding errors. Each case has its own local workbench.
1. Script conversion is not translation
Choose script conversion when a Chinese sentence is already understandable but uses the other writing system. For example, 软件 becomes 軟體 with Taiwan vocabulary, while character-only conversion may give 軟件. OpenCC uses phrase dictionaries; it does not understand the full intent of a contract, a name or a technical term. Review names and context after converting.
In Yijiang, select Script conversion, choose Simplified Chinese as the source and Taiwan vocabulary as the target, paste 软件, then convert. For a character-only result, choose a target without the vocabulary option. Always keep an original copy; conversion is not guaranteed to be reversible because several Traditional characters may share one Simplified form.
2. Encoding changes representation, not meaning
Base64, URL escapes and hexadecimal bytes are representations of data, not encryption. Anyone with the matching decoder can recover the text. Never use them to protect a password or API key. In encoding mode, choose a format and Encode; switch to Decode to test the reverse operation.
A useful round-trip test is Hello → SGVsbG8= → Hello with Base64. With UTF-8 Hex, 中文 becomes e4 b8 ad e6 96 87 (spacing may vary). A percent sequence such as %E4%B8%AD represents the UTF-8 bytes for 中 in a URL. URL query syntax may assign a special meaning to +, so do not assume that every URL decoder treats it as a space.
3. Diagnose decoding errors before retrying
An odd number of hexadecimal digits represents an incomplete byte; a non-hexadecimal letter such as G is invalid. Check for truncation and choose the format that produced the input. A string can look like Base64 and still be ordinary text; automatic detection is a suggestion, not proof.
Yijiang processes text, not arbitrary binary files. If decoded bytes are not valid UTF-8 text, the result may be unreadable or rejected. GBK and Big5 documents require their original character encoding; guessing a file's encoding from pasted text cannot restore information that was already lost. Return to the original file when possible.
4. Translate meaning, then verify details
Choose Chinese-English translation when the reader needs another language. Keep full sentences and surrounding context. Check dates, numbers, negation, names and terminology against the original. Split long input at sentence boundaries rather than in the middle of a word.
Local conversion is unlimited; online translation uses a provider and the site's free quota or your own API account. If a request fails, check the visible error, quota and provider settings. A successful request does not guarantee accuracy. Have important material reviewed before using it for a consequential decision.
Technical references: OpenCC · Base64 (RFC 4648) · UTF-8 (RFC 3629)