Extract text from CHAT transcripts (CHA)
To convert CHA transcripts to another format, you need CLAN or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Linguistic Analysis File" file type, you need software like CLAN or a similar tool.
The .cha file format is primarily used as a CHAT Transcription file by the CHILDES (Child Language Data Exchange System) project. These files store transcripts of spoken language interactions used by linguists and researchers. They are created and analyzed using the CLAN (Computerized Language Analysis) software suite.
Less commonly, the .cha extension is used for Control HMI Applications in Rockwell Connected Components Workbench, Adobe Photoshop Channel Mixer presets, or unfortunately, as encrypted files created by Chaos Ransomware.
The primary disadvantage of CHAT transcription files is their specialized, academic nature. They contain specific coding markers that make them difficult to read cleanly in a standard text editor. Furthermore, HMI project files are entirely proprietary and cannot be opened without Rockwell's specific software. Ransomware-encrypted .cha files cannot be converted at all; they require a specific decryption key.
For linguistic researchers, converting .cha to TXT, CSV, or XML is often necessary to parse the data in Python or R. If you need to share the transcript with non-researchers, converting it to a PDF or DOCX is ideal.
Because many .cha files belong to closed, proprietary systems or highly specific academic software, standard online converters fail to process them. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. We can inspect the file and show text or internal content. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
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 Transcription Data 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 Transcription Data 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.