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phpsql-serverutf-8freetds

Getting data with UTF-8 charset from MSSQL server using PHP FreeTDS extension

I can't seem to get data from MSSQL encoded as UTF-8 using FreeTDS extension.

Connecting:

ini_set('mssql.charset', 'UTF-8');
$this->_resource = mssql_connect($config['servername'], $config['username'], $config['password']);

I have no ability to use any other extension.

I've tried creating ~/.freetds.conf

[global]
client charset = UTF-8

I've tried passing parameters to php:

php -d mssql.charset="UTF-8" index.php

Data is still not in UTF-8.

php -i

mssql

MSSQL Support => enabled
Active Persistent Links => 0
Active Links => 0
Library version => FreeTDS

Directive => Local Value => Master Value
mssql.allow_persistent => On => On
mssql.batchsize => 0 => 0
mssql.charset => no value => no value
mssql.compatability_mode => Off => Off
mssql.connect_timeout => 5 => 5
mssql.datetimeconvert => On => On
mssql.max_links => Unlimited => Unlimited
mssql.max_persistent => Unlimited => Unlimited

Ideas?

Solution

  • MSSQL and UTF-8 are quite a pain in the ... sometimes. I had to convert it manually. The problem: MSSQL doesn't actually know and support UTF-8.

    Convert from database value to UTF-8:

    mb_detect_encoding($value, mb_detect_order(), true) === 'UTF-8' ? $value : mb_convert_encoding($value, 'UTF-8');

    Converting from UTF-8 to database value:

    mb_convert_encoding($value, 'UCS-2LE', mb_detect_encoding($value, mb_detect_order(), true));

    Fortunately I was using Doctrine so all I had was to create a custom StringType implementation.