Using the Query Designer with International Data
You can use the Query Designer with data in any language and in any version of the Windows® operating system. The following guidelines outline the differences you will notice and provide information about managing data in international applications.
Note For additional information about ANSI to OEM character conversion in SQL Server, see Query Designer Considerations.
Localized Information in the Grid and SQL Panes
If you are using the Grid pane to create you query, you can enter information in the format that corresponds to the Windows Regional Settings for you computer. For example, if you are searching for data, you can enter the data in the Criteria columns using whatever format you are accustomed to using, with these exceptions:
- Long data formats are not supported.
- Currency symbols should not be entered in the Grid pane. However, the correct symbol will appear in the Results pane.
Note You may enter the $ currency symbol, but the Results pane will return the currency symbol that corresponds to the Windows Regional Settings for your computer.
- Unary minus always appears on the left side (for example, -1) regardless of the Regional Settings options.
In contrast, data and keywords in the SQL pane must always be in ANSI (U.S.) format. For example, as the Query Designer builds a query, it inserts the ANSI form of all SQL keywords such as SELECT and FROM. If you add elements to the statement in the SQL pane, be sure to use the ANSI standard form for the elements.
When you enter data using local-specific format in the Grid pane, the Query Designer automatically translates it to ANSI format in the SQL pane. For example, if your Regional Settings are set to Standard German, you can enter data in the Grid pane in a format such as "31.12.96." However, the date will appear in the SQL pane in ANSI datetime format as { ts '1996-12-31 00:00:00' }. If you enter data directly in the SQL pane, you must enter it in ANSI format.
Sort Order
The sort order of data in your query is determined by the database. Options that you set in the Windows Regional Settings dialog box do not affect sort order for queries. Within any particular query, however, you can request that rows be returned in a particular order. For more information, see Sorting Rows.
Using Double-Byte Characters
You can enter