DEFAULT_ISQL_ENCODING Option [Interactive SQL]

Specifies the code page used by READ and OUTPUT statements.

Allowed Values

<identifier> or <string>

Default

Use system code page (empty string)

Scope

Can only be set as a temporary option, for the duration of the current connection.

Remarks

DEFAULT_ISQL_ENCODING specifies the code page to use when reading or writing files. It cannot be set permanently. The default code page is the default code page for the platform you are running on.

Interactive SQL determines the code page that is used for a particular OUTPUT or READ statement as follows, where code page values occurring earlier in the list take precedence over those occurring later in the list:

The code page specified in the ENCODING clause of the OUTPUT or READ statement
The code page specified with the DEFAULT_ISQL_ENCODING option (if this option is set)
The default code page for the computer on which Interactive SQL is running

Example

Set the encoding to UTF-16 (for reading Unicode files):

SET TEMPORARY OPTION DEFAULT_ISQL_ENCODING = 'UTF-16'