Bug #31489 doc section 9.3.1. "Server Character Set and Collation" does not specify purpose

• Submitted: 9 Oct 2007 18:18
• Modified: 15 Oct 2007 13:39
• Reporter: Marcin Owsiany
• Status: Closed
• Category: MySQL Server: Documentation
• Severity: S3 (Non-critical)
• OS: Any
• Assigned to: Paul DuBois
• CPU Architecture: Any
• Tags: character set, charset, DEFAULT, server

[9 Oct 2007 18:18] Marcin Owsiany

Description:
It would be helpful if there was an explicit statement of the purpose of the server level charset and collation variables. Are they only used as a default for when no DB level information is specified? Or do they serve some other function as well (such as for use in queries issued when not connected to any DB)?

Possibly something like there is near the end of the section on the matching DB level variables.

How to repeat:
Read the docs.

[9 Oct 2007 18:27] MySQL Verification Team

Thank you for the bug report. Please read the chapter:

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/charset.html

Chapter 9. Character Set Support

[15 Oct 2007 13:34] Paul DuBois

I am reopening this and assigning it to myself. The section in question
could indeed use clarification.

[15 Oct 2007 13:39] Paul DuBois

Thank you for your bug report. This issue has been addressed in the documentation. The updated documentation will appear on our website shortly, and will be included in the next release of the relevant products.

Adding this paragraph:

"The server character set and collation are used as default values if the database character set and collation are not specified in CREATE DATABASE statements. They have no other purpose."