Description

Sets the character encoding (character set) of Form and URL scope variable values; used when the character encoding of the input to a form, or the character encoding of a URL, is not in UTF-8 encoding.

Returns

None

Category

International functions, System functions

Function syntax

SetEncoding(scope_name,charset)

See also

GetEncoding, cfcontent, cfprocessingdirective, URLDecode, URLEncodedFormat; "Locales" in the ColdFusion Developer's Guide

History

ColdFusion MX: Added this function.

Parameters

Usage

Use this function when the character encoding of the input to a form or the character encoding of a URL is not in UTF-8 encoding. For example, Traditional Chinese characters are often in Big5 encoding. This function resets URL and Form variables, so you should call it before using these variables (typically, in the Application.cfm page or Application.cfc file). Calling this function first also avoids interpreting the characters of the variables incorrectly.

For more information on character encoding, see the following web pages:

• www.w3.org/International/O-charset.html provides general information on character encoding and the web, and has several useful links.
• www.iana.org/assignments/character-sets is a complete list of character sets names used on the Internet, maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority.
• java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.1/docs/guide/intl/encoding.doc.html lists the character encoding that Java 1.4.1, and therefore the default ColdFusion configuration, can interpret. If you use a JVM that does not conform to the Sun Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition, v 1.4.1, the supported locales may differ. The list uses Java internal names, not the IANA character encoding names that you normally use in the SetEncoding charset parameter and other ColdFusion attributes and parameters. Java automatically converts standard IANA names to its internal names as needed.

Example

<!--- This example sends and interprets the contents of two fields as
        big5 encoded text. Note that the form fields are received as URL variables
        because the form uses the GET method. --->
<cfcontent type="text/html; charset=big5">
<form action='#cgi.script_name#' method='get'>
<input name='xxx' type='text'>
<input name='yyy' type='text'>
<input type="Submit" value="Submit">
</form>

<cfif IsDefined("URL.xxx")>
<cfscript>
    SetEncoding("url", "big5"); 
    WriteOutput("URL.XXX is " & URL.xxx & "<br>"); 
    WriteOutput("URL.YYY is " & URL.yyy & "<br>");
theEncoding = GetEncoding("URL");
     WriteOutput("The URL variables were decoded using '" &
    theEncoding & "' encoding."); 

WriteOutput("The encoding is " & theEncoding); 
</cfscript>
</cfif>