How do I change a MySQL table to UTF-8?

Question

I know there are many settings for a language for a table and a database.

I already created the database. I believe when I created it, it was default/LATIN. I want

Answer 1

1) Database default character set and collation:

SELECT @@character_set_database, @@collation_database;

Altered via: ALTER DATABASE CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;

2) Table default character set and collation:

SELECT T.table_name, CCSA.character_set_name 
FROM information_schema.TABLES T, information_schema.COLLATION_CHARACTER_SET_APPLICABILITY CCSA 
WHERE CCSA.collation_name = T.table_collation AND T.table_schema = "YOUR_DB";`

Altered via: ALTER TABLE [table_name] CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci

3) Column character set and collation:

SELECT c.TABLE_NAME, c.COLUMN_NAME, c.CHARACTER_SET_NAME, c.COLLATION_NAME 
FROM information_schema.COLUMNS c
WHERE c.table_schema = "YOUR_DB";`

Altered via: ALTER TABLE [table_name] CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci

The third one requires that you disable foreign key checks for the data conversion. So putting this all together:

DELIMITER //
CREATE PROCEDURE migrate_charset_to_utf8()
  BEGIN
    DECLARE done TINYINT DEFAULT 0;
    DECLARE curr_table VARCHAR(64);

    DECLARE table_cursor CURSOR FOR
    SELECT T.table_name
      FROM information_schema.TABLES T
      WHERE T.TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE' AND
        T.TABLE_SCHEMA = 'YOUR_DB';
    DECLARE CONTINUE HANDLER FOR NOT FOUND SET done = 1;

    OPEN table_cursor;

    table_loop: LOOP
      FETCH table_cursor INTO curr_table;
      IF done THEN
        LEAVE table_loop;
      END IF;

      # Convert table data(columns) charset
      SET @sql_str1 = CONCAT("ALTER TABLE ", curr_table, " CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci");
      PREPARE stmt1 FROM @sql_str1;
      EXECUTE stmt1;
      DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt1;

      # Set table's default charset e.g for new columns added
      SET @sql_str2 = CONCAT("ALTER TABLE ", curr_table, " CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci");
      PREPARE stmt2 FROM @sql_str2;
      EXECUTE stmt2;
      DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt2;

    END LOOP table_loop;

    CLOSE table_cursor;
  END//

DELIMITER ;


SET @@FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 0;
CALL migrate_charset_to_utf8();
SET @@FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 1;

ALTER DATABASE CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;

EDIT: look here instead