Re: what characterset to use?

From: Frank van Bortel <frank.van.bortel_at_gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2007 13:11:47 +0200
Message-ID: <fbbhdh$27h$1@news3.zwoll1.ov.home.nl>

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sybrandb_at_hccnet.nl wrote:
> On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 06:52:46 -0700, Ben <balvey_at_comcast.net> wrote:
>

>> He was agreeing that Oracle's documentation is confusing and in
>> certain parts SOUNDS LIKE that is what they suggest, key words 'SOUNDS
>> LIKE'. I didn't read that as him suggesting setting the two to be the
>> same, please re-read and try to comprehend.

>
> It doesn't matter how often he uses 'SOUNDS LIKE': he is
> misrepresenting Oracle's point of view on this.
> Oracle's point of view is: character set should always equate
> characterset of O/S on *both sides*.
> If that means character set conversion, so be it.
>
> So if you have a database on Unix, as Unix doesn't support MSWIN1252,
> the database characterset should WE8ISO8859P15.
> If your clients are Windows your characterset should be MSWIN1252 on
> the client, as Windows doesn't support WE8ISO8859P15.
> If you are running in a DOS box, your characterset should be set to
> WEPC850.
> So if he states it 'SOUNDS LIKE' Oracle recommends setting everything
> to MSWIN1252: Oracle never recommended that, and implementing his
> advice is outright dangerous if you have a database running on Unix.
>
> He *cheats* when he is stating Oracle recommends using UTF8. That is a
> recent recommendation which applies to 10g and higher.
>

So, you are an advocate of keeping the characterset of the client the same as for the database?!?
Because you do: you say the Database should adhere the OS characterset. As far as any utility, running on the server is concerned, those utilities are *clients* to the server.
Utter nonsense to jump on Laurenz like that, Sybrand, when you claim the very same.

An oracle database (running on whatever system) is perfectly happy when created with WE8MSWIN1252 characterset. But please set your Unix *environment* to WE8ISO8859P1 (not P15, as Unix does not support the Euro symbol) - to quote you:
> If that means character set conversion, so be it.

The bottom line is: what the "Install Wizards" from Oracle come up with as default, usually is quite workable.

As soon as you have a mixed environment (mixed being single and multibyte character sets to be supported) switch to a database UTF characterset, supported since 8i.
Leave the environment settings -where ever- as they are! - --
Regards,
Frank van Bortel

Top-posting is one way to shut me up...
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