What is the usage of utf8_general_ci in MySQL?

utf8_general_ci in MySQL is a combination of character set and collation rules used to specify how text data is stored and compared in the database. It denotes storing data using UTF-8 encoding and comparing it without case sensitivity.

Here is a specific method for use:

1. Specify the character set and collation rules as utf8_general_ci when creating the database.

CREATE DATABASE dbname CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;

1. Specify the character set and collation rules as utf8_general_ci when creating a table.

CREATE TABLE tablename (
    columnname VARCHAR(255) CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci
);

1. Change the character set and collation rules of the table fields to utf8_general_ci.

ALTER TABLE tablename MODIFY columnname VARCHAR(255) CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;

1. Use the utf8_general_ci collation rule when querying.

SELECT * FROM tablename WHERE columnname = 'value' COLLATE utf8_general_ci;

By utilizing the utf8_general_ci character set and collation rules, you can ensure that text data in the database is stored in UTF-8 encoding and is compared in a case-insensitive manner, thereby enhancing the accuracy and consistency of the data.