you can specify the character encoding (called CHARSET in mysql) and collation on a per column, per table or per database level. e.g.
CREATE DATABASE foo CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci; or CREATE TABLE foo ( ... ) CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci; or CREATE TABLE foo ( bar varchar(128) CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci NOT NULL); mysql's default character encoding is latin1. for mysql's collations, see: http://www.collation-charts.org/ i wouldn't use utf8 indiscriminately, only for columns that need it -- indexes need 3 bytes per character on utf8 columns. (utf16 would be better in that regard!) don't forget to set session system variables, e.g. using SET NAMES or with your api. On 1/18/10 2:44 PM, "Gavin Towey" <gto...@ffn.com> wrote: > http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/charset.html > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ningappa Koneri [mailto:ningappa.kon...@comviva.com] > Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 11:32 PM > To: mysql@lists.mysql.com > Subject: Regarding storing non-english chars in mysql > > Dear all, > > I have a problem in migrating a GUI app(displays multi lingual data like > Arabic) which currently uses oracle as backend db to mysql (5.1). Currenly in > oracle I am using NVARCHAR datatype to store the Arabic chars. How do I > incorporate the same functionality in mysql ? I have tried a sample > servlet/jsp to insert the arabic chars into mysql by creating a table having > two columns of NATIONAL VARCHAR type, but it's not displaying Arabic chars > instead only questions marks are there. > > One more thing in sample example is that before inserting I am converting to > UTF-8. > > Regards, > Ningappa Koneri > mLifestyle | www.comviva.com > > > This e-mail and all material transmitted with it are for the use of the > intended recipient(s) ONLY and contains confidential and/or privileged > information. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender > by reply e-mail and destroy all copies and the original message. Any > unauthorized review, use, disclosure, dissemination, forwarding, printing or > copying of this email or any action taken pursuant to the contents of the > present e-mail is strictly prohibited and is unlawful. > The recipient acknowledges that Comviva Technologies Limited or its management > or directors, are unable to exercise control or ensure the integrity over /of > the contents of the information contained in e-mail. Any views expressed > herein are those of the individual sender only and no binding nature of the > contents shall be implied or assumed unless the sender does so expressly with > due authority of Comviva Technologies Limited. E-mail and any contents > transmitted with it are prone to viruses and related defects despite all > efforts to avoid such by Comviva Technologies Limited. > > -- > MySQL General Mailing List > For list archives: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql > To unsubscribe: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql?unsub=gto...@ffn.com > > > This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the > individual named. If you are not the named addressee, you are notified that > reviewing, disseminating, disclosing, copying or distributing this e-mail is > strictly prohibited. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you > have received this e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system. > E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as > information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or > incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability > for any loss or damage caused by viruses or errors or omissions in the > contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. > [FriendFinder Networks, Inc., 220 Humbolt court, Sunnyvale, CA 94089, USA, > FriendFinder.com > > -- > MySQL General Mailing List > For list archives: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql > To unsubscribe: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql?unsub=...@thefsb.org > -- MySQL General Mailing List For list archives: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql To unsubscribe: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql?unsub=arch...@jab.org
