Handle non-UTF8 encodings in add_readme existing file check

nathanjmcdougall · nathanjmcdougall · commit f6a08c666c84 · 2025-06-18T18:37:41.000+12:00
diff --git a/src/usethis/_core/readme.py b/src/usethis/_core/readme.py
@@ -23,8 +23,11 @@ def add_readme() -> None:
         pass
     else:
         # Check if the file is non-empty; if so, we will exit early
-        existing_content = path.read_text().strip()
-        if existing_content:
+        try:
+            existing_content = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            return
+        if existing_content.strip():
             return
 
     project_name = get_project_name()
