What is a Byte-order-mark (BOM)?

To enhance the integrity of the download files you receive from Premium and to ensure compatibility with various text editors and applications, we have implemented a significant change. Effective 9/28, we have added a Byte Order Mark (BOM) to all our download files.

What is a Byte Order Mark (BOM)?

A Byte Order Mark is a special character sequence placed at the beginning of a file to indicate the encoding and byte order of the text within the file. It helps applications correctly interpret the file's character encoding, especially in cases where different encodings are used.

Why Did We Make This Change?

Over time, we have received feedback from some of our users regarding encoding anomalies in download files. These anomalies could sometimes lead to incorrect text rendering or data corruption when opening files in certain text editors or software applications. We have implemented the BOM to ensure that the encoding of our download files is consistently recognized and interpreted correctly across various platforms.

How Does This Change Impact You?

In most cases, you may not notice any difference in your experience when downloading and using our files. The presence of the BOM is primarily aimed at improving compatibility with a wide range of text editors and applications.

However, there are some instances where you may need to be aware of the BOM:

1. Text Editors: Most modern text editors automatically detect and handle the BOM without any issues. If you encounter any unusual characters at the beginning of a file, this is likely the BOM, and it can be safely ignored.

2. Programming Languages: If you are using programming languages or scripts that process text files, please ensure that your code is BOM-aware, as the BOM might be read as part of the file content.