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USE CHARACTER SET

USE CHARACTER SET ( map {; mapInOut} )

ParameterTypeDescription
mapText, *Name of character set to use, or * to reset to default character set
mapInOutInteger0 = Output map 1 = Input map, If omitted, output map

Description

USE CHARACTER SET modifies the character set used by 4D during data transfer between the database and a document or a serial port for the current process. Transfer operations include the import and export of text, DIF, and SYLK files. A character map also works on data transferred with SEND PACKET, RECEIVE PACKET (for text type packets) and RECEIVE BUFFER. It has no effect on transfers of data done with SEND RECORD, SEND VARIABLE, RECEIVE RECORD, SEND PACKET, RECEIVE PACKET (for BLOB type packets) and RECEIVE VARIABLE.

The map parameter must correspond to the “IANA” name of the character set to be used, or to one of its aliases. For example, the names “iso-8859-1” or “utf-8” are both valid names, as well as the aliases “latin1” or “l1”. For more information about these names, please refer to the following address: http://www.iana.org/assignments/character-sets. Examples if IANA names are also provided in the description of the CONVERT FROM TEXT command.

If mapInOut is 0, the map is set for exporting. If mapInOut is 1, the map is set for importing. If you do not pass the mapInOut parameter, the export map is used by default.

When the * parameter is passed, the default character set is restored (import or export map depending on the value of mapInOut).
In 4D, the default character set is UTF-8.

Example

The following example (Unicode mode) uses the UTF-16 character set to export a text, then the default character set is restored:

 USE CHARACTER SET("UTF-16LE";0) // Use the UTF-16 'Little Endian' character set
 EXPORT TEXT([MyTable];"MyText") // Export data through the map
 USE CHARACTER SET(*;0) // Restore the default character set

System variables and sets

The OK system variable is set to 1 if the map is loaded correctly. Otherwise, it is set to 0.

See also

_o_Mac to Win
_o_Win to Mac
EXPORT DIF
EXPORT SYLK
EXPORT TEXT
IMPORT DIF
IMPORT SYLK
IMPORT TEXT
RECEIVE BUFFER
RECEIVE PACKET
SEND PACKET