How to Spool UTF-8 format data in Oracle database into text file

Question

How to spool, in UTF-8 format, data from an Oracle database into text file with all UTF-8 chars coming out properly, for example Chinese characters.

I am trying to spool data from an Oracle database which is UTF-8 enabled and trying to spool the same data into txt or cvs. Instead of the Chinese characters I am getting ????.

I know that this question has been asked earlier but there is no answer given for that, hence reopening that question again.

Batch program:

sqlplus snprn/SpotProd_07@SPOTDEV_VM.WORLD @C:\BatchJob\SPOTReport\spotreport.SQL

rem sqlplus snprn/SpotProd_07@lprodspot @C:\BatchJob\SPOTReport\spotreportrecovery.SQL

rem copy Spot_Item_details*.* C:\BatchJob\SPOTReport /y
copy Spot_Item_details*.* C:\BatchJob\SPOTReport /y
rem xcopy Spot_Item_details*.* backup /y
rem del Spot_Item_details*.*    

SQL Code:

SET HEADING ON
SET FEEDBACK    OFF
SET ECHO    OFF
SET LINESIZE    5000
SET PAGESIZE    0
SET TRIMS   ON
SET ARRAYSIZE   5


COLUMN extract_date NEW_VALUE _date
SELECT TO_CHAR(SYSDATE, 'RRRRMMDD') extract_date 
FROM   DUAL;

SPOOL D:\SPOT2\BatchJob\SPOTReport\Spot_Item_details_daily_&_Date.txt

Select 'SPOT#'||'^'||
'STATUS'||'^'||
'APPLY DATE'||'^'||
'MANAGER SIGNOFF'||'^'||
'SNP OPS SIGNOFF'||'^'||
'GP SIGNOFF'||'^'||
'DIR SIGNOFF'||'^'||
'SCM SIGNOFF'||'^'||
'ITEM NO'||'^'||
'ISMARTS SKU'||'^'||
'MANUFACTURER SKU'||'^'||
'COUNTRY'||'^'||
'DISTRIBUTOR'||'^'||
'DISTRIBUTOR STD PRICE EX GST'||'^'||
'DISTRIBUTOR FINAL PRICE EX GST'||'^'||
'DELL PRICE EX GST'||'^'||
'QTY REQUIRED'||'^'||
'CURRENCY'||'^'||
'LICENSE PACKAGE'||'^'||
'MSLICENSE'||'^'||
'MSSOFTWARE'
From Dual;

Select distinct SSR_REFNO||'^'||
SSR_STATUS||'^'||
SSR_APPLY_DATE||'^'||
TO_CHAR(SSR_MAN_DATE, 'DDMONRRRR HH24:MI:SS')||'^'||
TO_CHAR(SSR_ORT_DATE, 'DDMONRRRR HH24:MI:SS')||'^'||
TO_CHAR(SSR_GP_DATE, 'DDMONRRRR HH24:MI:SS')||'^'||
TO_CHAR(SSR_DIR_DATE, 'DDMONRRRR HH24:MI:SS')||'^'||
TO_CHAR(SSR_SCM_DATE, 'DDMONRRRR HH24:MI:SS')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_ITEM_NO, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_ISMARTS_SKU, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_MANUFACTURER_SKU, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_COUNTRY, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_DISTRIBUTOR, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_MANF_STD_COST_EX_GST, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_MANF_COST_EX_GST, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_DELL_PRICE_EX_GST, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_QTY_REQUIRED, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_CURRENCY, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_LICENSE_PACKAGE, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_MSLICENSE, chr(10), '')||'^'||
REPLACE(SSR_MSSOFTWARE, chr(10), '')
From SPOT_SNP_REPORt
Where SSR_REFNO like 'FSPOT-%' and SSR_ITEM_NO <100000;

SPOOL OFF
exit;

Answer 1

Whenever a client program (such as sqlplus) connects to the database, it tells the database what characterset it is using. Some environments may have a very restricted characterset and use something like US7ASCII so they don't get anything that can upset them.

As you can see in the following example, what is output by a query is dependent on the NLS_LANG setting of a client.

C:\>set NLS_LANG=.US7ASCII
C:\>sqlplus ???/???@xe

SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Wed Nov 3 09:31:32 2010
> select chr(193) from dual;

C
-
?

> quit

C:\>set NLS_LANG=.AL32UTF8
C:\>sqlplus ???/???@xe

SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Wed Nov 3 09:31:49 2010
> select chr(193) from dual;

C
-
┴

If your client is Windows, then try the above. If it is a unix(ish) platform, try

export NLS_LANG=.AL32UTF8

Answer 2

Maybe you are getting ???? because your text-editor does not know that the textfile is UTF-8?

A textfile does not contain information on how it is encoded. Youo should instruct your text-editor that it should interpret the data as UTF-8 and ensure that it is using a font that contains chinese characters (such as the DejaVu fonts)