converting charset from one to utf8?

[tenzan]

Hello!

I'm using SMF 2.0 RC3 in cyrillic-windows-1251 and now I want to convert charset to utf8.
Is there detailed manual for this?

thanks.

[Arantor]

1. Backup the forum, both files and database.

2. Admin > Maintenance > Database > Convert the database and data to UTF-8 > Run task now

[Norv]

This might help as well
http://docs.simplemachines.org/index.php?topic=865

[Arex]

Notepad++ allows you to encode documents in various forms (including UTF-8):

http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm [nofollow]

[Arantor]

Unfortunately that won't help convert a database very easily

[Kill Em All]

Unfortunately that won't help convert a database very easily

You can if I recall correctly, but it would take quite a bit of work, which really, who wants to do manual labor when all you can do is run the Convert the database and data to UTF-8 task.

[Arantor]

Sure you *can* do it manually but it's more effort, since you have to take the backup, convert the file to UTF-8, manually edit the table definitions to move them to UTF-8 too, drop all the existing tables then recreate them.

[tenzan]

This might help as well
http://docs.simplemachines.org/index.php?topic=865

Thanks for reply. But this method, it seems, didn't work for me. I think, maybe the problem on my smf side.
I considering about the following steps:
1) Backup the database
2) convert charset to utf8 (still searching for ways to do this. as soon as I find a solution, I will report here)
3) create smf again, and import there converted to utf8 database

[Norv]

This might help as well
http://docs.simplemachines.org/index.php?topic=865

Thanks for reply. But this method, it seems, didn't work for me. I think, maybe the problem on my smf side.

If you could let us know what exactly you did and how it didn't work, we may be able to assist.

I do not recommend the manual method, sorry. There's far too much to edit manually in the database - and in its structure, for it to work somehow.
Sure, do as you wish, though.

[Arantor]

I don't recommend doing it manually either, you will have to modify every table (there are 63 in a default install), and for almost every table multiple columns have to be altered, and they must all be done the same way to avoid collation issues.

[tenzan]

Norv: If you could let us know what exactly you did and how it didn't work, we may be able to assist.

I do not recommend the manual method, sorry. There's far too much to edit manually in the database - and in its structure, for it to work somehow.
Sure, do as you wish, though.

Thanks a lot.
I will write the details, give me the time.

regards