UTF-8 General, Binary, and Unicode Collations: Which One Should You Use for User-Submitted Data?

UTF-8 General, Binary, and Unicode Collations: What's the Difference?

When working with user-submitted data, understanding the differences between UTF-8 General, Binary, and Unicode collations is crucial. This article delves into these variations, providing guidance on appropriate usage.

1. Should User-Submitted Content Be Stored in UTF-8 General or UTF-8 Unicode CI Columns?

• UTF-8 General CI (Case-Insensitive): Optimized for speed, but less accurate. Does not consider advanced character mappings such as expansions and contractions.
• UTF-8 Unicode CI (Case-Insensitive): More precise, but slower. Considers character combinations, mappings, and ignorable characters.

Generally, UTF-8 General CI is suitable for most user-submitted content, especially when performance is a priority.

2. What Type of Data is UTF-8 Binary Applicable To?

UTF-8 Binary: Case-sensitive and binary-based comparison.

Use UTF-8 Binary when:

• Preserving exact character sequences: Order is essential, and case sensitivity matters (e.g., passwords, usernames).
• Storing binary data: Images, documents, or compressed files.

Remember, UTF-8 Binary doesn't consider character differences that UTF-8 General and Unicode CI do, such as accented characters or character combinations.

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