If the database character set is set to a standard western encoding (e.g., WE8MSWIN1252 ), you cannot safely change it on a live production system using basic ALTER DATABASE commands without risking severe data corruption. You should instead provision a new database instance using the correct encoding or utilize Oracle's Data Pump export/import utilities to migrate schemas into an appropriately configured container.
For the OS to display Arabic/Urdu characters correctly within Forms 6i, the Windows system locale must be set. Go to > Region and Language .
: This can occur when an invalid or incompatible NLS_LANG value is entered. Revert to a known working value (e.g., AMERICAN_AMERICA.AR8MSWIN1256 ) and restart. Also verify that the character set specified in NLS_LANG is actually installed on your Oracle server.
In (Win95/NT/2000 client ) by using the blow details . Title : NLS Setting for Oracle Environment: ------------------------------- Oracle Forums If the database character set is set to
AL32UTF8 (Use this if you need to store languages other than Arabic/Urdu alongside them, but be aware of possible 6i display issues).
If you have multiple Oracle products installed (e.g., Database 10g and Developer 6i in separate homes), each may have its own NLS_LANG setting. Verify that all relevant homes have the correct configuration. When Oracle applications don't behave consistently, checking NLS_LANG in each Oracle Home registry key is essential.
Even with configuration, your PL/SQL code inside Developer 6i must handle RTL and bidirectional text. Go to > Region and Language
Last tested configuration: Oracle Database 10.2.0.5 + Developer 6i (6.0.8.27) on Windows 10 21H2 with Urdu language pack.
| Variable | Value | |---|---| | NLS_LANG | ARABIC_EGYPT.AR8MSWIN1256 |
For runtime environments, you can also set NLS_LANG as an environment variable: Also verify that the character set specified in
CREATE TABLE employees ( id NUMBER, full_name NVARCHAR2(100), -- Unicode address VARCHAR2(200 CHAR) -- Character-length semantics );
This commonly occurs due to differences in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_Dev6iHome0