database connection - PostgreSQL: Warning: Console code page (437) differs from Windows code page (1252)

Question

Using PostgreSQL when I connect to a db using c testdb inside PostgreSQL Database SQL Prompt. I successfully connect to the db but getting the following warning:

postgres-# c testdb
WARNING: Console code page (437) differs from Windows code page (1252)
         8-bit characters might not work correctly. See psql reference
         page "Notes for Windows users" for details.
You are now connected to database "testdb" as user "postgres".
testdb-#

What does this warning mean? How to resolve it?

Answer 1

From the psql documentation:

psql is built as a "console application". Since the Windows console windows use a different encoding than the rest of the system, you must take special care when using 8-bit characters within psql. If psql detects a problematic console code page, it will warn you at startup.

To change the console code page, two things are necessary: Set the code page by entering cmd.exe /c chcp 1252. (1252 is a code page that is appropriate for German; replace it with your value.) If you are using Cygwin, you can put this command in /etc/profile.

So to remove that warning you need to execute chcp 1252 before you enterpsql. Using chcp without parameters gives you the current codepage.