# Getting out of SQL\_ASCII, part 1

DevFeed: [Getting out of SQL\_ASCII, part 1](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/getting-out-of-sql-ascii-part-1-34359.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://tapoueh.org/blog/2010/02/getting-out-of-sql_ascii-part-1/>)

Author: Dimitri Fontaine PostgreSQL Major Contributor; Author

Published: 2010-02-18T10:37:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Dimitri Fontaine](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/dimitri-fontaine.md>)

Topics: [Database](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/database.md>), [PostgreSQL](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/postgresql.md>), [ASCII](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ascii.md>), [data](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/data.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>)

Tags: [ascii](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ascii.md>), [code](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code.md>), [database](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/database.md>), [postgresql](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/postgresql.md>), [script](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/script.md>)

## AI overview

This tutorial explains the problems of using a PostgreSQL SQL_ASCII database, focusing on archived tables whose text data can be converted offline with the GNU recode tool. It also previews a later method for recoding data in the database itself.

## Source excerpt

It happens that you have to manage databases designed by your predecessor, and it even happens that the team used to not have a DBA. Those histerical raisins can lead to having a SQL_ASCII database. The horror! What SQL_ASCII means, if you're not already familiar with the consequences of such a choice, is that all the text and varchar data that you put in the database is accepted as-is. No checks. At all. It's pretty nice when you're lazy enough to not dealing with strange errors in your application, but if you think that t's a smart move, please go read The Absolute Minimum Every Software Developer Absolutely, Positively Must Know About Unicode and Character Sets (No Excuses!) by Joel Spolsky now. I said now, I'm waiting for you to get back here. Yes, I'll wait.