Store Arabic in SQL Database

sql

database-settings

unicode-support

collation

byAnton Shumikhin·Sep 7, 2024

To save Arabic text in an SQL database, make sure your SQL database uses UTF-8 encoding, setting CHARSET=utf8mb4 and COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci. This establishes support for Unicode, which covers Arabic characters:

CREATE TABLE arabic_words (
  words TEXT
) CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci;

When you'd like to squeeze some Arabic text into the database, you might write:

INSERT INTO arabic_words (words) VALUES (N'نص عربي'); /* Translates to "Arabic text", mind-blown, huh! */

Note the capitalized N before the string! It's yelling to SQL, "Hey, what follows is Unicode, so buckle up!"

Detailed Breakdown

`varchar` vs `nvarchar`: The Rumble in your Database

When dealing with multi-language data, especially Arabic, you've got to understand the difference between the Titans varchar and nvarchar. varchar is handy for non-Unicode characters; it's pretty much hanging out with ASCII and English peeps. But when it comes to nvarchar, it's a beast, supporting Unicode, being multilingual and all, and embraces all characters including Arabic.

Taming the Wild Beast called Collation

Right collation is key, nobody likes playing 'guess the character.' Arabic_CI_AI_KS_WS is your ticket to happiness, with Case Insensitive, Accent Insensitive, Kana Sensitive, and Width Sensitive attributes. Be sure to adjust your database settings to pair with this collation for supporting Arabic text like a pro. If you're feeling lost and need to see available collations, fn_helpcollations() is your helpful friend. Just a reminder: Latin1_General_100_CI_AI isn't your collation if you're dealing with Arabic!

Golden Rules for Storing Arabic Text

If you're reading this, you are serious about storing Arabic text, here are some best practices curated just for you:

Be sure to prefix those Unicode strings with N. It's a friendly nudge to SQL that we've got nvarchar values coming in!
Consider using ALTER DATABASE with the proper Arabic collation set, like Arabic_CI_AI, for a pre-existing database because not all of us start from scratch.
Remember to spot check the inserted data, verify that the Arabic text is indeed stored correctly.
In case conversion issues pop up, don't sweat! Adjust your database configuration right away.

Tips to Swat Bugs and Keep Configurations in Check

Errors might manifest when handling Arabic text. Don't panic! Buckle up and resolve with confidence:

Make sure your database collation and table collations are Arab-friendly.
If need be, adjust character encoding within the database settings for handling non-Latin characters without breaking a sweat.
Implement the correct collation like Arabic_CI_AI_KS_WS that aligns with your specific application demands.
Regularly check the inserted data for quality assurance.