Sending Arabic text from Android phone to online MySQl database

Question

I made an application that sends few text inputs from android to my online database. My application ran good, but some users reported that they can't use Arabic text. So I tried, and When I send Arabic text in the database it appears as ????? ????? ??????

My php script:

<?php
$connect = mysql_connect($db_host,$db_uid,$db_pass) or die('could not connect');
mysql_select_db($db_name);

if(mysql_errno($connect))
{
die("Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysql_error());
}
else
{
    echo "success";
mysql_query("SET NAMES 'utf8'"); mysql_query('SET CHARACTER SET utf8');
}

$name = isset($_POST['name']) ? $_POST['name'] : '';
$sex = isset($_POST['sex']) ? $_POST['sex'] : '';
$nationality = isset($_POST['nationality']) ? $_POST['nationality'] : '';

$query = mysql_query( "insert into people (name, sex, nationality) values (N'$name' ,N'$sex', N'$nationality') ", $connect);

print_r($_POST);
if(!$query) echo mysql_error();
mysql_close($connect);
?>

my Android code:

                DefaultHttpClient httpclient= new DefaultHttpClient();
                HttpPost httppost = new HttpPost("http://www.xxxxxxxx.com/thescript.php");
                Log.e("done 1st","its here");

                try
                {
                    ArrayList<NameValuePair> nameValuePairs = new ArrayList<NameValuePair>();
                    nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("name", Name.getText().toString()));
                    nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("sex",  Sex.getText().toString()));
                    nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("nationality",  Nationality.getText().toString()));

                    httppost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(nameValuePairs));
                    HttpResponse response = httpclient.execute(httppost);
                    Log.e("done", String.valueOf(response));
                }

I tried few stuff as you can see but none worked.

and when using insert into using online pc .php I get like this : Ù„Ø¨Ø¨ÙŠ

---------

My Database settings are:

The table collation is utf8_general_ci and its type is MyISAM

and the collumns (name,sex,nationality) inside it:

type is varchar and collation is utf8_general_ci

ex. the output should be علي but it's ???

try to insert from your browser and see it again, if that check was ok, then, check your Android application. — Jason OOO, Sep 25 '13 at 15:58
You should know this better than me, I just recommended something that its easy to it — Jason OOO, Sep 25 '13 at 16:02

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 30 '13 at 07:14

Do this way

DefaultHttpClient httpclient= new DefaultHttpClient();
                HttpPost httppost = new HttpPost("http://www.xxxxxxxx.com/thescript.php");
                Log.e("done 1st","its here");

                try
                {
                    ArrayList<NameValuePair> nameValuePairs = new ArrayList<NameValuePair>();
                    nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("name", Name.getText().toString()));
                    nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("sex",  Sex.getText().toString()));
                    nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("nationality",  Nationality.getText().toString()));

                    httppost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(nameValuePairs, "UTF-8")); //UPDATE HERE
                    HttpResponse response = httpclient.execute(httppost);
                    Log.e("done", String.valueOf(response));
                }

It's working. Man you brought my project back, I quit it then you brought it back!!!!! THANK yOU!!!!! — John Jared, Sep 30 '13 at 14:29

Vereos · Answer 2 · 2013-09-27T16:55:58.213

1

Type shouldn't be varchar, since it does not accept Unicode characters. Update it to nvarchar!

Like Andries said, collation should be set to utf8_general_ci or other Unicode collation as well.

EDIT:

So, since you are on MySQL v5.x you should have a config file (like my.cnf). You should ensure you are not using your super user to access the database. Add this to you config file.

[mysqld]
init_connect='SET collation_connection = utf8_general_ci; SET NAMES utf8;'
default-character-set=utf8
character-set-server=utf8
collation-server=utf8_general_ci

This will trigger any connection to use utf8_general_ci for any connection.

Restart MySQL and if mysqld.log does not return any error you should rally!

edited Sep 27 '13 at 16:55

answered Sep 27 '13 at 16:11

Vereos

503
4
15

so I create a file called "my.cnf" and post the code in it? then what? where do i put the file? – John Jared Sep 27 '13 at 16:58
You don't have to create that file, you should have it in the MySQL installation directory. Just append that code. – Vereos Sep 27 '13 at 17:43
I dont, cuz I use webhosting. – John Jared Sep 27 '13 at 18:00
Is there no any etc/mysql/ folder? – Vereos Sep 27 '13 at 18:09
I think I'm out of ideas then :( So sorry! – Vereos Sep 28 '13 at 00:42
It's okay, TY. upvoted for your effort, and maybe ur answer helps another person. – John Jared Sep 28 '13 at 08:07
Last thing that got in my mind: I'm assuming that every time you make a change on your DB config (like changing to utf_general_ci and so on), you are deleting the old arabic record and try to insert a new one! – Vereos Sep 28 '13 at 10:45

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:28

1

I believe your java code is right.

On the backend, Try to use this code: (and if you can switch to PDO)

$conn= mysql_connect($db_host,$db_uid,$db_pass, true) or die('could not connect');
mysql_select_db($db_name);
mysql_query("SET character_set_results = 'utf8', character_set_client = 'utf8', character_set_connection = 'utf8', character_set_database = 'utf8', character_set_server = 'utf8'", $conn);
mysql_set_charset('utf8', $conn);

Debug to know the encoding using:

<?php
$charset = mysql_client_encoding($conn);
echo "The current character set is: $charset\n";
?>

Then

Execute the following commands as root:

ALTER DATABASE YOUR_DATABASE_ NAME CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;
update mysql.proc set character_set_client = "utf8", collation_connection = "utf8_general_ci", db_collation = "utf8";

Then execute the code in the following SO answer

edited May 23 '17 at 12:28

Community

1
1

answered Sep 28 '13 at 03:07

Sherif elKhatib

45,786
16
89
106

I get now: **The current character set is: utf8 successArray ( )** and still the Arabic text is ???????? – John Jared Sep 28 '13 at 08:11
Try the "**Then**" in the answer – Sherif elKhatib Sep 28 '13 at 10:51
I execute it using the sql tab in the phpmyadmin ? cuz I'm using 000webhost – John Jared Sep 28 '13 at 12:23
If I do I get, **#1142 - UPDATE command denied to user 'axxxxx'@'localhost' for table 'proc' ** – John Jared Sep 28 '13 at 12:27
Oh you are on shared crappy hosting. Listen can you please in your php file, just `die($name);` and check what do you receive on android. – Sherif elKhatib Sep 28 '13 at 13:05
Lol yeah, nothing really happens. – John Jared Sep 28 '13 at 13:37
note that using the browser the database gets Ù„Ø¨Ø¨ÙŠ and using android it gets ??????? – John Jared Sep 28 '13 at 13:38
You need to contact your hosting company. Ask for a database with utf-8 charset and collation. I believe you created your database using a control panel. – Sherif elKhatib Sep 28 '13 at 14:17
Yes I did create it sing control panel, I'll contact them. TY – John Jared Sep 28 '13 at 14:47

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 27 '13 at 15:58

0

You should change your table collation to utf8_general_ci or any other unicode collation. Latin1 cannot represent Arabic script.

answered Sep 27 '13 at 15:58

Andries Mooij

153
4

score 0 · Answer 5 · edited Aug 23 '17 at 09:13

0

I had this problem for a week long time and searched and searched, the solution that @biraj Suggested in THE ONLY way to solve this problem! No need to change database or set UTF-8 in php or .... Using this

httppost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(nameValuePairs, "UTF-8"));

and this problem is gone for ever.

edited Aug 23 '17 at 09:13

Eric Aya

69,473
35
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answered Aug 23 '17 at 08:57

Saghachi

851
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19

score -1 · Answer 6 · answered Sep 28 '13 at 04:56

-1

You need to pass the correct (UTF-8) Charset to your UrlEncodedFormEntity constructor.

answered Sep 28 '13 at 04:56

Jan Schejbal

4,000
19
40

can you how me how to do that ? – John Jared Sep 28 '13 at 08:31
@JohnJared huh? Something like `httppost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(nameValuePairs, Charset.forName("UTF-8")));` - you will probably need to get rid of the potential Exception by wrapping it in a try..catch block. – Jan Schejbal Sep 28 '13 at 08:50
I get **The method setEntity(HttpEntity) in the type HttpEntityEnclosingRequestBase is not applicable for the arguments (UrlEncodedFormEntity, Charset)** from .setentity – John Jared Sep 28 '13 at 09:01

Sending Arabic text from Android phone to online MySQl database

6 Answers6