Changes

==MariaDB Differences between Ubuntu Fixing CHARSET and DebianCOLLATION==Note: When dealing with MariaDB, they have this [https://mariadb.com/kb/en/library/differencescharacter-inset-mariadband-incollation-debian-and-ubuntuoverview/ KB Overview]. For MySQL, there is a dedicated [https://forums.mysql.com/list.php?103 forum for Character Sets, Collation, Unicode]

If Collation is a big word that we don't use everyday. It helps to remember that it basically means 'sorting'. Throwback: when printing documents in the office was a big deal (before the Internet), you'd have to pay extra to get huge sorting trays attached to the printer so that you could print '20 copies of this 5-page document' and each set of 5 pages would be printed into it's own tray. Now collating copiers are the norm and they do it without the massive tray finishers. === OS-dependent defaults ===MariaDB is different on RedHat distros and Ubuntu vs. Debian<ref>https://mariadb.com/kb/en/library/differences-in-mariadb-in-debian-and-ubuntu/</ref>. Debian does the 'right thing' and sets defaults to be UTF-8 compatible, whereas others are still lagging with defaults of <code>latin1</code> for character set and <code>latin1_swedish_ci</code> collation!! === Best practice ==={{Ambox|text=Get into the habit of specifying CHARACTER SET and COLLATION on all connections and CREATE TABLEs. MySQL and MariaDB are gradually changing from latin1_swedish_ci to utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci.  "900" is probably not the last Unicode standard. By explicitly specifying the charset and collation, you maintain control and consistency, even if it is an out-dated pair.}} === Changing Character Sets and Collations ===Character sets and collations can be set from the server level right down to the column level, as well as for client-server communication. For example, the <code>[https://mariadb.com/kb/en/server-system-variables/#collation_connection collation_connection]</code> '''server system variable'''. There is another KB page for [https://mariadb.com/kb/en/setting-character-sets-and-collations/ Setting Character Sets and Collations]. Keep in mind that there a many possible collations per character set, but only one default per character set. So, if you specify a character set, but are silent on the collation, youwill receive the default. Character sets and collations always cascade down, so a column without a specified collation will look for the table default, the table for the database, and the database for the server. It're s therefore possible to have extremely fine-grained control over all the character sets and collations used in your data. Collation names always start with the character set they correspond to (e.g. latin1 charset and latin1_bin collation).  If your collation and character sets are all <code>latin1_swedish</code>, but you want them to be <code>UTF-8</code>, then you can set it in the configuration file, and restart the database.