---
title: "MySQL Character Set And Collation Fast Note"
date: 2020-07-23T11:06:25.000Z
author: Z.SHINCHVEN
tags: [MySQL, Character Set, Collation]
canonical: https://atlassc.net/2020/07/23/mysql-character-set
---
## MySQL Instance Character Set and Collation

### Config via docker-compose File

```docker-compose
version: '3.5'

services:

  mysql:
    image: mysql
    container_name: mysql
    restart: always
    command: [
      'mysqld',
      '--character-set-server=utf8mb4',         # character set server
      '--collation-server=utf8mb4_unicode_ci',  # collation-server
      ...                                       # your other configs
    ]
```

### Config in my.cnf

#### Edit my.cnf file

```bash
vim /etc/mysql/my.cnf
```

```my.cnf
# append character configs to mysqld section of my.cnf file
[mysqld]
... # your other configs
collation-server = utf8mb4_unicode_ci
character-set-server = utf8mb4
init-connect = 'SET NAMES utf8mb4'
```

#### Restart Your MySQL Service

```bash
systemctl restart mysql
# or
service mysql restart
```

## Database Character Set and Collation

[\[reference\]](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/charset-database.html)

```sql
CREATE DATABASE db_name
    CHARACTER SET `utf8mb4`
    COLLATE `utf8mb4_unicode_ci`;

ALTER DATABASE db_name
    CHARACTER SET `utf8mb4`
    COLLATE `utf8mb4_unicode_ci`;
```

## Table Character Set and Collation

[\[reference\]](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/charset-table.html)

```sql
CREATE TABLE tbl_name (column_list)
    CHARACTER SET `utf8mb4`
    COLLATE `utf8mb4_unicode_ci`;

ALTER TABLE tbl_name
    CHARACTER SET `utf8mb4`
    COLLATE `utf8mb4_unicode_ci`;
```

## Column Character Set and Collation

[\[reference\]](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/charset-column.html)

```sql
CREATE TABLE t1
(
    col1 VARCHAR(5)
      CHARACTER SET `utf8mb4`
      COLLATE `utf8mb4_unicode_ci`
);

ALTER TABLE t1 MODIFY
    col1 VARCHAR(5)
      CHARACTER SET `utf8mb4`
      COLLATE `utf8mb4_unicode_ci`;
```