# Unicode character handling **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [October 10, 2007, 12:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/unicode-character-handling/116857 "2007-10-10T12:58:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hitesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/8e7dd6/32.png) [@hitesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hitesh)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 12:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/unicode-character-handling/116857/1 "2007-10-10T12:58:25Z")
Hi, I developing a web application using ruby on rails, apache 2.2.3 and Mysql. I want to handle the unicode characters(chinese, japanese etc.) in my application. I have made the necessary configuration in application.rb , environment.rb and database.yml and .htaccess files. Also I am using encodeURIComponent fuction on javascript to escape the querystrigs. [http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/HowToUseUnicodeStrings](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/HowToUseUnicodeStrings) Now I am able to store the unicode characters in the Mysql database with utf8 charset when I use webrick server. But with apache I am getting ???(question marks) or illegal characters in the databas. Can anybody help for handling the unicode charactes using Apache. I am also using AddDefaultCharset utf8 in httpd.conf as well in .htaccess file. Thanks Hitesh ---
**Author:** ![hitesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/8e7dd6/32.png) [@hitesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hitesh)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/unicode-character-handling/116857/2 "2007-10-10T13:37:15Z")
I am using Apache with mongrel cluster. ---
**Author:** ![hitesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/8e7dd6/32.png) [@hitesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hitesh)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 7:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/unicode-character-handling/116857/3 "2007-10-11T07:37:08Z")
Hitesh wrote: > [http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/HowToUseUnicodeStrings](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/HowToUseUnicodeStrings) > in .htaccess file. > > Thanks > > Hitesh Are you setting something like this in your HTML files?: How are you connecting Apache to your Rails app? – Michael W. ---
**Author:** ![hitesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/8e7dd6/32.png) [@hitesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hitesh)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/unicode-character-handling/116857/4 "2007-10-17T13:43:01Z")
Yes Michael, I am setting in my html files. I made following entry in httpd.conf file for hosting my application on apache. \ ServerName 172.16.0.144 ServerAlias 172.16.0.144 Include conf/extra/myapp.common \ BalancerMember [http://127.0.0.1:8000](http://127.0.0.1:8000) BalancerMember [http://127.0.0.1:8001](http://127.0.0.1:8001) BalancerMember [http://127.0.0.1:8002](http://127.0.0.1:8002) BalancerMember [http://127.0.0.1:8003](http://127.0.0.1:8003) BalancerMember [http://127.0.0.1:8004](http://127.0.0.1:8004) BalancerMember [http://127.0.0.1:8005](http://127.0.0.1:8005) BalancerMember [http://127.0.0.1:8006](http://127.0.0.1:8006) BalancerMember [http://127.0.0.1:8007](http://127.0.0.1:8007) BalancerMember [http://127.0.0.1:8008](http://127.0.0.1:8008) BalancerMember [http://127.0.0.1:8009](http://127.0.0.1:8009) ## -----------------Content of myapp.common include file DocumentRoot /home/YouSearch/public \ Options FollowSymLinks AllowOverride None Order allow,deny Allow from all RewriteEngine On RewriteRule ^/$ /index.html [QSA] RewriteRule ^([^.]+)$ $1.html [QSA] RewriteCond %{DOCUMENT\_ROOT}/%{REQUEST\_FILENAME} !-f RewriteRule ^/(.\*)$ balancer://mongrel\_cluster%{REQUEST\_URI} [P,QSA,L] AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html text/plain text/css BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4 gzip-only-text/html BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4.0[678] no-gzip BrowserMatch \bMSIE !no-gzip !gzip-only-text/html * * *