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wp-config differences in 2.2 -- should I add DB_COLLATE or avoid it? (11 posts)

  1. Dgold
    Member
    Posted 11 months ago #

    My wp-config looks like this

    define('DB_NAME', 'my_name');     // The name of the database (DG also have 'my_name')
    define('DB_USER', 'my_name');     // Your MySQL username
    define('DB_PASSWORD', 'my_password'); // ...and password
    define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');     // 99% chance you won't need to change this value

    wp-config-sample from WP 2.2 looks similar but it adds this:

    define('DB_CHARSET', 'utf8');
    define('DB_COLLATE', '');

    When I upgraded from 2.0.x to 2.2, I followed the Upgrade Instructions in the Codex, which tells me to copy my old wp-config. Therefore the DB_CHARSET and DB_COLLATE are not in my wp-config.

    Should I add those 2 lines? Where does it tell me to do this, in the documentation or Codex? Is it safe to just add those 2 lines, and save the file?

    Yes, I have read the following pages in the Codex, and they are either Rough Drafts, or tell me NOT to add the above lines:
    http://codex.wordpress.org/Converting_Database_Character_Sets
    http://codex.wordpress.org/Editing_wp-config.php

    But I'm still wondering if I need those lines, because I am having a lot of character encoding issues, and also my feed doesn't work and the validation error mentions the utf8.

  2. MichaelH
    Moderator
    Posted 11 months ago #

    If you are using an upgraded database do NOT put those two lines in your wp-config.php. If you have a new install of 2.2, then it is okay to have those lines in that file.

    I do have to quote this from the http://codex.wordpress.org/Editing_wp-config.php

    * Warning for those performing upgrades: If DB_CHARSET and DB_COLLATE do not exist in your wp-config.php file, DO NOT add either definition to your wp-config.php file unless you read and understand Converting Database Character Sets. Adding DB_CHARSET and DB_COLLATE to the wp-config.php file, for an existing blog, can cause problems — as Ryan Boren says, "your queries will go boom!"

  3. Dgold
    Member
    Posted 11 months ago #

    Thanks for the answer.

    I did read that paragraph in the Codex. But since I was still having problems I wanted to double-check it was accurate and applied to me.

  4. moshu
    Moderator
    Posted 11 months ago #

    Maybe we should add somewhere in the upgrade instructions that, seemingly, automatic Fantastico upgrade overrides the old config file (adding the charset and collate lines) which makes the non-English blogs to "go boom"...

    There might be other issues, too, but this one stood out in several topics about upgrade to 2.2.

  5. MichaelH
    Moderator
    Posted 11 months ago #

    Special note for Fantastico Upgrades has been added to Upgrading WordPress. If there is a suggestion for better placement of this information, please say so.

  6. moshu
    Moderator
    Posted 11 months ago #

    Thanks Michael. I have no idea where else it should be - I'll take a look at the upgrade section, although I am afraid those who go with Fantastico will not read the Upgrade instructions anyway... only after their blog "goes boom" :)

  7. MichaelH
    Moderator
    Posted 11 months ago #

    I agree with you there...I've also noticed a number of cases where people are using the new wp-config-sample.php (non-Fantastico upgrades) and I'm not sure where (or if) to put a warning for that!

  8. Dgold
    Member
    Posted 11 months ago #

    How about putting the warning as Commented-Out text INSIDE the wp-config-sample.php file?

    At least for WP 2.2.1, that could help some people (non-Fantastico).

    There's already other commented-out comments in there, such as "99% chance you won't need to change this value" next to 'localhost'. So there is a precedent for writing helpful 1-liners in the actual file.

    Also: on the Fantastico front, how about contacting Fantastico and see if they can stop serving their upgrade in that manner? Or if they can warn their users? I realize Fantastico is not WP's responsibility, but that might be one of the quickest ways to resolve the amount of incoming problems.

  9. moshu
    Moderator
    Posted 11 months ago #

    Yes, but that's done by the developers - not by the non-developer helpers in the forum :(

  10. MichaelH
    Moderator
    Posted 11 months ago #

    Message placed on Fantastico forums:
    http://netenberg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5841

  11. Dgold
    Member
    Posted 11 months ago #

    That's some support magic right there ^^

    Hopefully Fantastico themselves will heed the advice, as well as any users who have the problem finding your thread.

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