The difference and usage of mysqli_character_set_name() and mysqli::get_charset

When using MySQL databases, character set management is very important, which is directly related to the encoding of the database's storage and retrieved text content. In PHP, we often use the mysqli extension to connect to and manipulate MySQL databases. mysqli::get_charset() and mysqli_character_set_name() are both functions that get the current character set of the database, but they are somewhat different in usage and scenario. This article will introduce their differences, usage and applicable scenarios in detail.

1. mysqli::get_charset() method

mysqli::get_charset() is a method in the mysqli class that gets the character set of the current database connection. It returns a mysqli_charset object, containing information about the character set of the currently connected.

usage

 <?php
// Create a database connection
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// Get character set object
$charset = $mysqli->get_charset();

// Print character set information
echo "Character set name: " . $charset->charset . "\n";
echo "Character set alternative names: " . $charset->name . "\n";
?>

Applicable scenarios

• If you need to get more detailed character set information (such as the name of the character set and the character set alternative name), mysqli::get_charset() is a good choice.

• Suitable for object-oriented programming, because it is a method of the mysqli class.

2. mysqli_character_set_name() function

mysqli_character_set_name() is a procedural function that gets the character set name used by the current database connection. It returns a string representing the currently connected character set.

usage

 <?php
// Create a database connection
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "username", "password", "database");

// 获取Character set name
$charset_name = mysqli_character_set_name($mysqli);

// 打印Character set name
echo "Character set name: " . $charset_name . "\n";
?>

Applicable scenarios

• The mysqli_character_set_name() function is a common method in procedural programming. It is simple and easy to use and is suitable for developers who do not need an object-oriented style.

• If you only need to get the name of the character set, without the details of the other character sets, mysqli_character_set_name() is a suitable choice.

3. Major differences

4. Summary

mysqli::get_charset() and mysqli_character_set_name() are both functions used to obtain the current database connection character set, but their applicable scenarios and return values ​​are different. mysqli::get_charset() returns an object containing more character set information, suitable for object-oriented programming and scenarios where detailed character set information is required; while mysqli_character_set_name() is a concise procedural function, suitable for cases where only character set names are needed. Developers can choose the appropriate function according to their needs.

By understanding the differences and usage of these two functions, we can operate the MySQL database more flexibly to ensure accuracy in character set management.