my stores in western and my Thai script pages are showing as ??????????

Hi
Im making a NEW site in zen cart 1.5

How do i get it in utf8?

Is that the standard now or do i still need to follow instructions for 1.3.9 to update it to utf8???

Please advise where to get instructions to for a new install ZC to utf8 so i can use Thai characters

For NEW STORES, it assumes UTF8 automatically. http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=190424

If you are UPGRADING, then you will need to convert your data manually, using VERY SPECIAL CARE.
NOTE TO ALL FUTURE READERS OF THIS DISCUSSION: If your store does not NEED utf-8 then you DO NOT NEED TO CONVERT ANYTHING. See: https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=414

DrByte:

For NEW STORES, it assumes UTF8 automatically. http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=190424

If you are UPGRADING, then you will need to convert your data manually, using VERY SPECIAL CARE.
NOTE TO ALL FUTURE READERS OF THIS DISCUSSION: If your store does not NEED utf-8 then you DO NOT NEED TO CONVERT ANYTHING. See: https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=414

My 1.3.8 was utf8

I upgraded... chose utf8... but my stores in western and my Thai script pages are showing as ??????????

Im most upset what should i do?

DrByte:

For NEW STORES, it assumes UTF8 automatically. http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=190424

If you are UPGRADING, then you will need to convert your data manually, using VERY SPECIAL CARE.
NOTE TO ALL FUTURE READERS OF THIS DISCUSSION: If your store does not NEED utf-8 then you DO NOT NEED TO CONVERT ANYTHING. See: https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=414

I am confused that article seems to be telling me to convert it to latin/ISO NOT to change it to UTF8

All the settings in my english.php ARE already for utf8
My configure.php has NO MENTION of DB_CHARSET at all????

the problem ive got is the site wont display those characters. My sites in english but i need to display foreign characters on some pages. Its not a multi language site

You can add extra defines to your configure files, try doing that for db_charset.

I should add... have a safe backup before editing anything relating to the database.

maac2:

You can add extra defines to your configure files, try doing that for db_charset.

Thanks - yes but the link tells you how to turn it to latin/iso.. not to turn the site to utf8

I now have utf8 added to the config file. English file is utf8. Its not working. What can i do?

There are a few references to latin in the database but not many...

Do i need to find/replace something in the database?

Its crazy because i had already converted my site to utf8 before i upgraded to 1.5 and it was working fine.

creamcrackers:

Its crazy because** i had already converted my site to utf8 before** i upgraded to 1.5 and it was working fine.
Please explain in detail what exact steps you took when you did that.

DrByte:

Please explain in detail what exact steps you took when you did that.

When it was a 1.3 site i did this http://www.srw2d.com/content/utf-8-zen-cart

To upgrade to 1.5 i couldnt get my head around how to upgrade. So what i did was get delete all the files and database on the server. Install a fresh 1.5 fileset with new database i deleted the config files and put the config files from my 1.3 installation in their place. Then i dropped all the 1.5 database tables and then, from my 1.3 database backup i imported the 1.3 database tables into it. Then i ran the zc_install database upgrade

Then i downloaded got the contribution files for a few things i was using like google analytics, seo urls and put them on the server

It works, but its not utf8

:(

Yes, I seem to remember that you chose not to follow the upgrade steps. And here we are, cleaning up for you. Sorry if I sound frustrated about that.

You haven't posted your URL, nor your configure.php files. So, it's very hard to help you with specifics in that area.

creamcrackers:

i deleted the config files and put the config files from my 1.3 installation in their place.
That was probably a mistake.

I suggest putting v1.5 configure.php files onto your v1.5 site:
Make a solid backup.
Install a new copy of Zen Cart, letting it generate the correct configure.php files. Then use those.
You might want to specify a separate test database to build the configure.php files, and then change the database name to point to your real database. That will save you having to restore from backup.

Im getting seriously .... off with ZC. Why is it so complicated?? Wordpress you just click a button to install stuff.
I feel ZC should come to the end of its life and be replaced with something better. I just wish i could get my clients details and passwords out and import them into something that doenst need constant updating and maintenance
I do appreciate the help though

It's only as complicated as you make it. Comparing with WordPress is like comparing apples and oranges. They're very different systems because they do very different things. And none of this is related to "clicking a button to install stuff". You've got damaged files or configuration, or even damaged data, which need to be fixed.

You haven't shared your URL, so none of us can take a direct look and offer specific help. Same with your configure.php content.

Most likely you're telling the database to use latin1 and the PHP to use utf8, and thus things aren't displaying properly. And you've already been told that you can set DB_CHARSET to fix that. But you haven't done that yet.

We're trying to help you, but it seems like you have your own ideas.
Can you help us help you?

DrByte:

Yes, I seem to remember that you chose not to follow the upgrade steps. And here we are, cleaning up for you. Sorry if I sound frustrated about that.

You haven't posted your URL, nor your configure.php files. So, it's very hard to help you with specifics in that area.

That was probably a mistake.

I suggest putting v1.5 configure.php files onto your v1.5 site:
Make a solid backup.
Install a new copy of Zen Cart, letting it generate the correct configure.php files. Then use those.
You might want to specify a separate test database to build the configure.php files, and then change the database name to point to your real database. That will save you having to restore from backup.

Thanks. Actually I did follow those steps but i ended up with a blank screen I think due to Simple SEO URL being installed and having compatibility issues and due to their install manager it wasnt possible to uninstall it normally so I started with a new fileset and the old database and config files. The problem was made worse due to my host upgrading PHP which meant the old version of ZC wouldnt run on their server and I couldnt find any way to load the old version php/sql into MAMP to get it to work either so i could uninstall and check the old site before upgrading it. I think the fact I had upgraded to UTF8 was somehow causing the upgrade problem too.
Basically im not a programmer, im a flower shop owner who started out, for me, I think the wrong shopping cart I would have been better off with something proprietary but basically now ive got so many customers in there and their passwords and logins arent exportable to another system I am stuck with it
I will try what you have suggested above

Cheers!

Also I did ask Numinix to fix this for me a while ago - but they were unable to do it because my site doesnt have a Super Admin. It only has Super Users and they said it was not possible to check it was working properly without having a Super Admin. Ive found no way to create a Super Admin. This site was upgraded from 1.3 when they didnt have Super Admins :(

creamcrackers, is your site gogoflorist dot com? [found in old forum posts]
This will help people see exactly what you see, and maybe help you fix the problem.
Where would we change the language to see the thai version?

Take it easy making changes, converting to UTF8 is not fun. Keep backups of everything at each step if you can.

creamcrackers:

I think the fact I had upgraded to UTF8 was somehow causing the upgrade problem too.Yes, most likely.

The ideal situation is one where EVERYTHING talks consistently in the same characterset:

• connection to database (DB_CHARSET is 'utf8')
• data in the database (collation)
• PHP language files (encoded as utf8-without-BOM and CHARSET is set to 'utf-8')

In your case it seems as though probably the content of the data in your database isn't clean.
And if it started out as latin1 and you or your customers stuffed multibyte characters into it, then converting the entire database and all its content to utf8 becomes a complicated process ... which needs to be done carefully offline in a test site so you can prepare all your steps to apply to the live site once well tested.

DrByte:

For NEW STORES, it assumes UTF8 automatically. http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=190424

If you are UPGRADING, then you will need to convert your data manually, using VERY SPECIAL CARE.
NOTE TO ALL FUTURE READERS OF THIS DISCUSSION: If your store does not NEED utf-8 then you DO NOT NEED TO CONVERT ANYTHING. See: https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=414

Hi Dr.Byte,
I've installed new ZC 1.5.1 and still getting the problem showing chinesse and arabic letters.
In front page (home) I've added words in chinese and arabic (copy pasted from google translate) and it shows up like this:

أفضل مزود العود
最好的沉香供应商

Thank you very much in advance for any clues.