### 10.3.3 Database Character Set and Collation

 Every database has a database character set and a database collation. The [`CREATE DATABASE`](create-database.html) and [`ALTER DATABASE`](alter-database.html) statements have optional clauses for specifying the database character set and collation:

```
CREATE DATABASE db_name
    [[DEFAULT] CHARACTER SET charset_name]
    [[DEFAULT] COLLATE collation_name]

ALTER DATABASE db_name
    [[DEFAULT] CHARACTER SET charset_name]
    [[DEFAULT] COLLATE collation_name]
```

 The keyword `SCHEMA` can be used instead of `DATABASE`.

 The `CHARACTER SET` and `COLLATE` clauses make it possible to create databases with different character sets and collations on the same MySQL server.

 Database options are stored in the data dictionary and can be examined by checking the [`INFORMATION_SCHEMA.SCHEMATA`](information-schema-schemata-table.html) table.

 Example:

```
CREATE DATABASE db_name CHARACTER SET latin1 COLLATE latin1_swedish_ci;
```

 MySQL chooses the database character set and database collation in the following manner:

* If both `CHARACTER SET *`charset_name`*` and `COLLATE *`collation_name`*` are specified, character set *`charset_name`* and collation *`collation_name`* are used.

* If `CHARACTER SET *`charset_name`*` is specified without `COLLATE`, character set *`charset_name`* and its default collation are used. To see the default collation for each character set, use the [`SHOW CHARACTER SET`](show-character-set.html) statement or query the `INFORMATION_SCHEMA` [`CHARACTER_SETS`](information-schema-character-sets-table.html) table.

* If `COLLATE *`collation_name`*` is specified without `CHARACTER SET`, the character set associated with *`collation_name`* and collation *`collation_name`* are used.

* Otherwise (neither `CHARACTER SET` nor `COLLATE` is specified), the server character set and server collation are used.

 The character set and collation for the default database can be determined from the values of the [`character_set_database`](server-system-variables.html#sysvar_character_set_database) and [`collation_database`](server-system-variables.html#sysvar_collation_database) system variables. The server sets these variables whenever the default database changes. If there is no default database, the variables have the same value as the corresponding server-level system variables, [`character_set_server`](server-system-variables.html#sysvar_character_set_server) and [`collation_server`](server-system-variables.html#sysvar_collation_server).

 To see the default character set and collation for a given database, use these statements:

```
USE db_name;
SELECT @@character_set_database, @@collation_database;
```

 Alternatively, to display the values without changing the default database:

```
SELECT DEFAULT_CHARACTER_SET_NAME, DEFAULT_COLLATION_NAME
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.SCHEMATA WHERE SCHEMA_NAME = 'db_name';
```

 The database character set and collation affect these aspects of server operation:

* For [`CREATE TABLE`](create-table.html) statements, the database character set and collation are used as default values for table definitions if the table character set and collation are not specified. To override this, provide explicit `CHARACTER SET` and `COLLATE` table options.

* For [`LOAD DATA`](load-data.html) statements that include no `CHARACTER SET` clause, the server uses the character set indicated by the [`character_set_database`](server-system-variables.html#sysvar_character_set_database) system variable to interpret the information in the file. To override this, provide an explicit `CHARACTER SET` clause.

* For stored routines (procedures and functions), the database character set and collation in effect at routine creation time are used as the character set and collation of character data parameters for which the declaration includes no `CHARACTER SET` or a `COLLATE` attribute. To override this, provide `CHARACTER SET` and `COLLATE` explicitly.

