Irrespective of whether you utilize MySQL, Oracle or DB2 be sure you have configured your database to use the UTF-8 character set. Failure to do so will result in range of issues when attempting to use Unicode characters in Sakai. Consult your Db documentation or a local DBA for instructions on how to set your database up properly.
If you are uncertain as to how your database is currently configured, you can check with a query. Here is a sample query for checking an Oracle instance:
| No Format |
|---|
SQL> select value from nls_database_parameters where parameter = 'NLS_CHARACTERSET';
VALUE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL32UTF8
|
For MySQL, the command to see what encoding your database is currently set to is "show create database sakai", assuming, of course, that your database is named "sakai". e.g.:
| No Format |
|---|
mysql> show create database sakai;
+----------+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Database | Create Database |
+----------+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| sakai | CREATE DATABASE `sakai` /*!40100 DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 */ |
+----------+----------------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)
|
Converting a database from one character set to another is a non-trivial operation, particularly if it is a large production database. We recommend strongly that you verify this aspect of the database creation and configuration process before deploying Sakai.