Extract text from CHA files
To convert your CHA file to another format, you need CLAN or other Text software.
To convert other file formats to the "Linguistic Data" file type, you need software like CLAN or a similar tool.
The .CHA file extension is most prominently associated with CHAT (Codes for the Human Analysis of Transcripts) transcripts, a standardized text-based format used by the TalkBank system and the CHILDES project for studying conversational data. While these files are technically plain text, they utilize a strict syntax comprising specific headers (e.g., @Begin, @Participants) and coding tiers that can be difficult to read without the specialized CLAN (Computerized Language Analysis) software. Researchers often struggle when sharing these datasets with non-specialists or attempting to import them into standard word processors like Microsoft Word, which may corrupt the formatting or treat the strict syntax as errors. To improve accessibility, it is recommended to convert these transcripts to TXT for universal compatibility, PDF for static archiving and publication, or XML for data interoperability.
A secondary, distinct use of the .CHA extension is for HMI (Human-Machine Interface) project files created by Rockwell Automation software, such as the Connected Components Workbench. These are proprietary binary files used to configure PV800 terminals and cannot be opened with text editors. Users with these files typically need to convert or compile them into runtime formats for industrial hardware.
Warning: If your file is suddenly inaccessible and renamed with this extension, it may be a victim of the Chaos Ransomware. In this specific case, standard conversion is impossible, and decryption tools are required.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CHA file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted CAH, ZIP, RDA, DOCX, ENW, INDD, ACA, GLY and L4D files.
If you want to convert CHA file to TTF, OTF, WOFF, WOFF2, EOT, SVG, BDF, PCF, FNT, FON, PFM or AFM, you can use CLAN or similar software from the "Linguistic Transcript Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert UFO, WOFF, PFB, GXF, AFM, F3F, SFD, WOFF2, PSF, TTF, TXF or OTF files to CHA, try CLAN or another comparable tool in the "Linguistic Transcript Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our CHA converter.