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Differences between Unicode Text and ASCII text file

  • June 10, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    #210835

    There is an option to script SQL's into Unicode or ASCII text file, but both are generating .sql files, I did not find any differences with generated files.

    What are the differences between Unicode Text and ASCII text file?

    What are the advantages?

  • June 10, 2009 at 8:27 pm

    #1007753

    It's what you can't see that makes the difference... the following is a very good article on the subject...

    http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/Unicode.html

    As a side bar, it took me about 2 minutes to find it on Google. 😉

    --Jeff Moden

    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • June 10, 2009 at 8:40 pm

    #1007756

    What you should be able to see however is that the Unicode .sql file is about twice the size of the Ascii one.

    [font="Times New Roman"]-- RBarryYoung[/font], [font="Times New Roman"] (302)375-0451[/font] blog: MovingSQL.com, Twitter: @RBarryYoung[font="Arial Black"]
    Proactive Performance Solutions, Inc.     [/font]    [font="Verdana"] "Performance is our middle name."[/font]

  • June 10, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    #1007762

    RBarryYoung (6/10/2009)

    What you should be able to see however is that the Unicode .sql file is about twice the size of the Ascii one.

    Any idea if SQL Server supports UTF-8?

    --Jeff Moden

    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • June 10, 2009 at 9:26 pm

    #1007763

    That differences I knew, I am asking what is the differecne between Unicode & ASCII text file in SQL Server, both are generating .sql file and content also same. What are the advantages of Unicode text file over ASCII or vice versa in terms of SQL Server (.sql files)?

  • June 10, 2009 at 9:37 pm

    #1007766

    jagadish_sds (6/10/2009)

    That differences I knew, I am asking what is the differecne between Unicode & ASCII text file in SQL Server, both are generating .sql file and content also same. What are the advantages of Unicode text file over ASCII or vice versa in terms of SQL Server (.sql files)?

    Uh huh... what are you using to examine the content with?

    --Jeff Moden

    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • June 11, 2009 at 12:41 am

    #1007796

    Jeff Moden (6/10/2009)

    RBarryYoung (6/10/2009)

    What you should be able to see however is that the Unicode .sql file is about twice the size of the Ascii one.

    Any idea if SQL Server supports UTF-8?

    SQL Server? Nope.

    Though oddly enough, SSMS does (for at least one case).

    [font="Times New Roman"]-- RBarryYoung[/font], [font="Times New Roman"] (302)375-0451[/font] blog: MovingSQL.com, Twitter: @RBarryYoung[font="Arial Black"]
    Proactive Performance Solutions, Inc.     [/font]    [font="Verdana"] "Performance is our middle name."[/font]

  • June 11, 2009 at 12:43 am

    #1007797

    Ascii only supports the ASCII character set. Unicode supports virtually every character set in the world.

    [font="Times New Roman"]-- RBarryYoung[/font], [font="Times New Roman"] (302)375-0451[/font] blog: MovingSQL.com, Twitter: @RBarryYoung[font="Arial Black"]
    Proactive Performance Solutions, Inc.     [/font]    [font="Verdana"] "Performance is our middle name."[/font]

  • June 12, 2009 at 7:17 pm

    #1008967

    RBarryYoung (6/11/2009)

    Jeff Moden (6/10/2009)

    RBarryYoung (6/10/2009)

    What you should be able to see however is that the Unicode .sql file is about twice the size of the Ascii one.

    Any idea if SQL Server supports UTF-8?

    SQL Server? Nope.

    Though oddly enough, SSMS does (for at least one case).

    Heh... found it in BOL. SQL Server supports Unicode 3.2 and that doesn't unclude the UTF-8 standard. Thanks for the confirmation, Barry.

    --Jeff Moden

    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

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