MySQL 8.0 C API Developer Guide / ... / C API Basic Interface / C API Basic Function Descriptions / mysql_set_character_set()
intmysql_set_character_set(MYSQL *mysql, const char *csname) This function is used to set the default character set for the current connection. The stringcsname specifies a valid character set name. The connection collation becomes the default collation of the character set. This function works like theSET NAMES statement, but also sets the value ofmysql->charset, and thus affects the character set used bymysql_real_escape_string()
MYSQL mysql;mysql_init(&mysql);if (!mysql_real_connect(&mysql,"host","user","passwd","database",0,NULL,0)){ fprintf(stderr, "Failed to connect to database: Error: %s\n", mysql_error(&mysql));}if (!mysql_set_character_set(&mysql, "utf8")){ printf("New client character set: %s\n", mysql_character_set_name(&mysql));}