title: MySQL Insert special characters
body: <p>I had a registration form which will insert into a member table, the collation is in <code>utf8_general_ci</code>, and I use <code>SET NAMES utf8</code> in php script, OK here is the problem, I can't insert a string other than pure alphabet, I try input 'Hélène' in a form field, after the sql query run, I check with my db table, the field is inserted as 'H', the rest of the alphabet cannot be insert whenever the string come with special alphabet such as <code>é, ř</code> on behind.</p>
  
  <p>Can someone please help? thanks.</p>
  
  <p><strong>SOLUTION:</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /&gt;
  
  mysql_query("SET NAMES utf8");
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>above two line is crucial part to accept input into database and output on a webpage.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks everyone for the advise.</p>