Urgent (desperate) cry for help...

[Ton Kuypers]

I know I'm doing something wrong, there has to be a better way, but I  
just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong...

Situation:
- mySQL 4.1 running on a windows server
- RR 2.6 OSX & Windows XP
- Clients need to be Mac OS9, Mac OS-X and Windows XP

I started development on the OS-X. Data in a field on a card needs to  
be stored in the database.
No problem there for regular text, but when entering text with  
special chars in, it's a no-go... The word "Coördinator" appears in  
the database as "Co".

In a clever moment (at least that's what I thought), very early in  
the project, I implemented the URLencode and URLdecode functions to  
get rid of this pesky little problem.

Then D-Day arrived: We had to install at the client the first beat- 
version of the program, to start testing.

First the OS-X Macs: Works like a charm.
Then the Windows machines... No way of getting the data in the  
correct way out of the database!

URLencode("Coördinator") on OSX stores "Co%9Ardinator" in the database
URLencode("Coördinator") on Windows stores "Co%F6rdinator" in the  
database
URLdecode of the Mac-encoded data on the PC obviously returns the  
wrong data :-((

The tables in mySQL are set to accept UTF-8, when I enter the text  
manually there is no problem with special chars, so it is RR needing  
something special.

Anyone, HELP, PLEASE!!!!

- Waht is the best way to communicate with mySQL?
- Why is the URLencode different on both platforms WITHOUT ANY  
NOTIFICATION IN THE MANUAL?
- And of course: What is the proper way to enter and retrieve data in  
and out a mySQL?

The URLencode/decode stuff shocked me, the main problem must be  
something stupid...

Many thanks in advance,


Ton Kuypers
Digital Media Partners bvba
Tel. +32 (0)477 / 739 530
Fax +32 (0)14 / 71 03 04
http://www.dmp-int.com