REGCONVERT(1)

💖 REGCONVERT(1) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Regina Handbook section on regconvert, and lemme tell you, this little utility is lowkey a time traveler 🕰️✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

regconvert — convert between different Regina file formats 🦋

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

regconvert [ -2 | -3 ] [ -x | -u ] old-file [ new-file ]

regconvert { -v, --version | -?, --help }

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💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

so this utility converts back and forth between the different Regina file formats. it's giving translator, it's giving bridge between eras, no cap 🌈

Regina's file formats include:

• Third-generation XML — this is the modern XML format that got introduced in Regina 7.0. older versions of Regina (6.0.1 and below) literally cannot read it at all 😭 like, not even a little bit.
• Second-generation XML — this is the original XML format, the one that was used in Regina 3.0-6.0.1 (from 2002-2021). current versions of Regina can still read and write this format if required. so it's not dead, it's just vintage 🎀
• First-generation binary format — this is the ancient binary format that was used in Regina 2.x (from 2000-2002). support for this format was dropped completely in September 2013, and modern versions of Regina cannot read or write it. periodt, it's gone 💀

if you still have ancient files that use this format, you will need to find a copy of Regina 3.0-4.93 (from 2002-2012), which can convert these old binary files to the second-generation XML format. yes bestie, you have to go digging in the archives for that one 🙈

okay so the argument old-file should be the file to read and convert; the argument new-file should be the name of the new converted file to write. and here's the cute part: these two filenames may be the same, in which case the old file will be replaced with the new. in-place glow-up, we love to see it 💖

if the argument new-file is missing then the new file will be written to standard output, which forces the output to be uncompressed XML (see option -u). so no new-file = it just yells the result at your terminal, plain and proud 📢

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🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

• -2 — convert to the older second-generation XML format, as used in Regina 3.0-6.0.1. throwback era 🫶
• -3 (default) — convert to the modern third-generation XML format, introduced in Regina 7.0. the it-girl format 💅
• -x (default) — write the output as compressed XML. zip zip ✨
• -u — write the output as uncompressed (plain text) XML. naked and unbothered 🌸
• -v, --version — show which version of Regina is being used, and exit immediately. identity check 👑
• -?, --help — display brief usage information, and exit immediately. the "help me bestie" button 🙏

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🍓 MACOS USERS 🍓

if you downloaded a drag-and-drop app bundle, this utility is shipped inside it. if you dragged Regina to the main Applications folder, you can run it as /Applications/Regina.app/Contents/MacOS/regconvert. it's hiding in there, main character energy in a subfolder 💜

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🧚 WINDOWS USERS 🧚

the command-line utilities are installed beneath the Program Files directory; on some machines this directory is called Program Files (x86). you can start this utility by running:

c:\Program Files\Regina\Regina 7.4.1\bin\regconvert.exe

yes the whole path, all of it, every character 🎀

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

regfiletype, regina-gui.

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⭐ AUTHOR ⭐

this utility was written by Benjamin Burton <bab@maths.uq.edu.au>. many people have been involved in the development of Regina; see the users' handbook for a full list of credits. iconic collaborative effort fr fr 🫶

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and that's the whole page bestie!! this was REGCONVERT(1) from the Regina Handbook, last updated 25 August 2025 💖 slay, go convert some files, ily, bye!! ✨🎀🦋