ACC: Code Pages (Character Sets) and How They Affect Microsoft Access (140409)

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A code page allows an operating system (such as Windows 95 or Windows NT) to provide support for character sets and keyboard layouts used in different countries. A code page is an ordered set (or table) of characters with a numeric index assigned to each character. Different types of code pages are used by the various language editions of Windows to support particular character sets. For example:

• Single-byte: Supports 256 characters, each identified by a unique 1-byte character value. This type of code is used for all European editions (such as Latin and non-Latin languages).
• Double-byte (DBCS): Supports thousands of characters, each identified by a unique 2-byte character value. This type of code page is used by Far Eastern editions (such as Japanese and Chinese Traditional).
• Bi-Directional (BiDi): A single-byte code page that allows for bi-directional text. This type is used by Arabic and Hebrew editions.

Microsoft Access has many editions which have been translated and customized (or localized) for different languages. These editions are designed for specific languages of Windows with a particular code page. The following features in Microsoft Access are affected by the operating system's code page:

• Display of fonts on screen and in print.
• Ability to open and run databases designed for different language editions. You can, in general, mix language editions that are part of the same code page without discrepancies in the user interface and functionality of Microsoft Access. However, you cannot open or run a database that requires an unsupported code page, such as a Japanese database in an English edition of Microsoft Access on a Spanish edition of Windows.
  
  For more information on mixing language editions of Microsoft Access, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  142867 ACC: Mixing Language Editions of Microsoft Access and Windows
• Regional settings (which determine currency, date/time, and number formats). For more information on how Regional Settings affect Microsoft Access, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  142009 ACC: How Regional Settings Affect Microsoft Access
• Sort order of data. For more information on how a code page can affect the sort order in Microsoft Access, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  133381 ACC: How the Windows Code Page Affects Sort Order
• Localization of SQL statements. If you create SQL statements in Visual Basic for Applications, it is possible to use localized syntax. However, for compatibility in different languages, you should use English syntax rather than the localized language.
• Arguments for the SetOption and GetOption methods. If you use these methods in Visual Basic, you should pass arguments in English rather than in the localized language. This helps to maximize compatibility with different language editions.
• Localization of keywords and expressions (including those created with the Expression Builder). Whenever you create expressions in the Expression Builder or use keywords such as "forms" or "reports", you should use English rather than the localized language to maximize compatibility with different language editions. For more information on using keywords, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  142044 ACC: Using English Keywords in International Applications