sql server - How to insert Arabic characters into SQL database?

Question

How can I insert Arabic characters into a SQL Server database? I tried to insert Arabic data into a table and the Arabic characters in the insert script were inserted as '??????' in the table.

I tried to directly paste the data into the table through SQL Server Management Studio and the Arabic characters was successfully and accurately inserted.

I looked around for resolutions for this problems and some threads suggested changing the datatype to nvarchar instead of varchar. I tried this as well but without any luck.

How can we insert Arabic characters into SQL Server database?

Answer 1

For the field to be able to store unicode characters, you have to use the type nvarchar (or other similar like ntext, nchar).

To insert the unicode characters in the database you have to send the text as unicode by using a parameter type like nvarchar / SqlDbType.NVarChar.

(For completeness: if you are creating SQL dynamically (against common advice), you put an N before a string literal to make it unicode. For example: insert into table (name) values (N'Pavan').)