string - Python DBF: 'ascii' codec can't decode byte 0xf6 in position 6: ordinal not in range(128) -

i have string containing guess you'd call "special" character (o umlaut above it) , it's throwing off dbf library using (ethan furman's python dbf library https://pypi.python.org/pypi/dbf retrieve_character() function, error on last line of function 'ascii' codec can't decode byte 0xf6 in position 6: ordinal not in range(128) ).

the code:

def retrieve_character(bytes, fielddef, memo, decoder):     """     returns string in bytes fielddef[class] or fielddef[empty]     """     data = bytes.tostring()     if not data.strip():         cls = fielddef[empty]         if cls nonetype:             return none         return cls(data)     if fielddef[flags] & binary:         return data     return fielddef[class](decoder(data)[0]) #error on line 

dbf files have codepage attribute. sounds has not been correctly set file. know code page used create data? if so, can override dbf's setting when open file:

table = dbf.table('dbf_file', codepage='cp437') 

cp437 example -- use whatever appropriate.

to see current codepage of dbf file (assuming didn't override on opening) use:

table.codepage 

if specify wrong codepage when open file, non-ascii data incorrect (e.g. o umlaut may end n tilde).