The database system can be used as a UNICODE database (UNICODE code in accordance with ISO 10646, page 1). You can then store both metadata and application data in the database instance in UNICODE format. Different presentation codes can be mapped to the UNICODE format.
Note that UNICODE data is stored internally in the UTF-16/UCS-2 format. As a result, double the space is required to store the data in the database instance.
To use your database instance as a UNICODE database, proceed as follows:
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1. When you install the database instance with the Database Manager, set the special database parameter _UNICODE to YES. The metadata is then stored in UNICODE, which means that the CHARACTER columns of the corresponding system tables have the code attribute UNICODE. The names of database objects (such as table names or column names) can then be displayed in the required presentation code in the database tools.
Once you have installed the database instance, you can no longer change the database parameter _UNICODE. If you still want to change it, you must reinitialize the database instance.
2. To store application data in a table column in UNICODE, specify the code attribute UNICODE for the data types CHAR[ACTER], VARCHAR, and LONG[VARCHAR] when you define the column. You can use the special database parameter DEFAULT_CODE to specify UNICODE as the default code attribute for all data.