USE d1; CREATE TABLE t1 ( c1 CHAR(10) ); Compatibility with Other DBMSs We create a column without specifying its character set and collation. We’re also not specifying a character set and a collation at the table level. In this circumstance, MySQL checks the database level to determine the table settings, which thereafter become the column settings.) Consequently, the character set for column  c1  is  latin2  and its collation is  latin2_czech_ci . For MaxDB compatibility these two statements are the same: 10.3.10 Compatibility with Other DBMSs 10.4 Connection Character Sets and Collations CREATE TABLE t1 (f1 CHAR( N ) UNICODE); CREATE TABLE t1 (f1 CHAR( N ) CHARACTER SET ucs2); •Connection Character Set and Collation System Variables •Impermissible Client Character Sets •Client Program Connection Character Set Configuration •SQL Statements for Connection Character Set Configuration •Connection Character Set Error Handling •The  character_set_server  and  collation_server  system variables indicate the server character set and collation. See Section 10.3.2, “Server Character Set and Collation” . •The  character_set_database  and  collation_database  system variables indicate the character set and collation of the default database. See Section 10.3.3, “Database Character Set and Collation” . •What character set are statements in when they leave the client? The server takes the  character_set_client  system variable to be the character set in which statements are sent by the client. 1943 Several questions about character set and collation handling for client connections can be answered in terms of system variables: Additional character set and collation system variables are involved in handling traffic for the connection between a client and the server. Every client has session-specific connection-related character set and collation system variables. These session system variable values are initialized at connect time, but can be changed within the session. Several character set and collation system variables relate to a client’s interaction with the server. Some of these have been mentioned in earlier sections: Connection Character Set and Collation System Variables A “connection”  is what a client program makes when it connects to the server, to begin a session within which it interacts with the server. The client sends SQL statements, such as queries, over the session connection. The server sends responses, such as result sets or error messages, over the connection back to the client.