KNIME 5.3 interface fails to properly handle non-UTF-8 columns

Hi,

KNIME 5.3 fails to properly display non-default encoding formatted columns:

• load a csv file with a non-UTF-8 format, eg UTF-16 or cp1252

• select the encoding in the csv reader;

• open string manipulation, double click on a column

→ you will see weird boxes and caracters, which represent the column name. You can manipulate the column but only as long as you double-click the name. Typing the name won’t work, as it appears to be written in default locale.

Moreover, under the hood KNIME appears to handle these columns literally as originally encoded, that is as if they were different from their UTF-8 counterparts. For example, if you decide to convert the encoding of the files outside of KNIME, then reopen them in KNIME, you will see that your workflow will no longer work because it can’t see the weird column names from before anymore.

Relevant information: UTF-8 set as default in KNIME, installed MacOS Ventura

Expected behaviour would be that KNIME detects the encoding and transforms it under the hood, so that the workflow wouldn’t be affected.