sql-server - how do I select to collations for sql server database?

Question

I am working with a number of sql server 2012 databases that contain data from different languages. I have been reading up on such and have found getting the collations for the sql server databases correct is something that needs careful consideration. I am not familliar with such and could really do with some assistance. Let me outline, what languages are in which database:

• Database 1 - Russian data
• Database 2 - Polish and English data
• Database 3 - Kyrgyz and Russian data

How do I go about deciding on the collations are for each database? Is there a guide I can follow or any tips on this?

Thanks.

Answer 1

See here for a guide (not yet a version for SQL 2012, but it should be the same):

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms144250.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa174903(v=sql.80).aspx

Also, regardless of collation I'd recommend always using NVARCHAR / NCHAR columns over VARCHAR / CHAR. (I would say NTEXT too, but that's deprecated anyway in 2008 and upwards).

Database 1 - Russian data - `Cyrillic_General_CI_AS`
Database 2 - Polish and English data - `SQL_Polish_Cp1250_CI_AS_KI_WI`
Database 3 - Kyrgyz and Russian data - `Cyrillic_General_CI_AS`

NB: I'm not 100% on Polish and English where things like sorting data alphabetically are concerned; the others I'm pretty confident on though.