Saving Hebrew text

Question

User-2012457684 posted

If I save Hebrew text in our legacy software (asp 3.0 aka classic asp) it somehow automatically converts it to html entity.   When I try to do the same in the new software that I am writing using ASP.NET MVC  it does not do this. instead it returns  a bunch of question marks.

Entering this

var string1="לצפייה בדף זה בעברית, לחצו כאן"

in classic asp saves to the database encoded as the html entities  

var string1="לצפייה בדף זה בעברית, לחצו כאן"

and doing the same save via the mvc page saves as this in the database

var string1="?????- ?????? ??? ?? ??????, ???? ???"

both are saved using the exact same stored procedure.   

Classic ASP

Set cmd = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Command")
Set cmd.ActiveConnection = oConn
cmd.CommandText = "AddScript"
cmd.CommandType = adCmdStoredProc
With cmd
	.Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@SectionID",adInteger,adParamInput,4, CInt(SectionID))
	.Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@LanguageID",adInteger,adParamInput,4, CInt(LanguageID))
	.Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@Script",adLongVarChar,adParamInput,Len(Script),Script)
End With

cmd.Execute
Set cmd = Nothing

MVC Code

//in class
public void AddScript(int LanguageID, int SectionID, string Script)
{
    using (SqlConnection oConn = new SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["MyDB"].ConnectionString))
    {
        using (SqlCommand oCmd = new SqlCommand())
        {
            oCmd.CommandText = "AddScript";
            oCmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
            oCmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@SectionID", SectionID);
            oCmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@LanguageID", LanguageID);
            oCmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Script",Script);
            oCmd.Connection = oConn;
            oConn.Open();
            oCmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
            oConn.Close();
            oCmd.Dispose();
        }
    }
}



//inside controller
[HttpPost]
[ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
[ValidateInput(false)]
public ActionResult Edit(int LanguageID, int SectionID, string Script)
{
    Assessment test = new Assessment();
    test.AddScript(LanguageID, SectionID,Script);

    return RedirectToAction("Index");
}

I am planning on replacing the legacy code but need to be able to edit this if the need arises.

Answer 1

User475983607 posted

Your post is a little confusing.  Your classic ASP code is encoding the characters.  Why can't you do the same in you MVC application?

        [HttpGet]
        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            var string1 = "לצפייה בדף זה בעברית, לחצו כאן";
            string encoded =  Server.HtmlEncode(string1);
            return Content(encoded);
        }

Answer 2

User-2012457684 posted

Actually No it isn't  it just uses the following 

Dim LanguageID
Dim SectionID
Dim Script 
LanguageID = Request.Form("LanguageID")
SectionID = Request.Form("SectionID")
Script = Request.Form("Script")

And in this case I cannot encode all of it because it is creating some text in the language mixed with Javascript code that is then used to fill a script which is displayed to the user at the beginning of each section.   

Here is how I display on the actual page that the user sees. 

Set cmd = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Command")
Set cmd.ActiveConnection = oConn
cmd.CommandType = adCmdStoredProc
cmd.CommandText = "GetScript"
cmd.Parameters.Refresh
cmd.Parameters(1) = DisplaySection
cmd.Parameters(2) = LanguageID
Set oRs = cmd.Execute
Script = oRs("Script")
Set oRs = Nothing
%>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
<%
Response.Write ReplaceScriptVariables(Script)
%>
</script>

The ReplaceScriptVariables function replaces some variables that are in the scripts depending on assessment, section etc.
fill the script like this 

Answer 3

User-17257777 posted

Hi mj1223,

According to your description, I am still confused about your current MVC codes now.

If you want to encode the string then insert it into the databsae, you could refer to mgebhard solution.

Besides, if you want to store the Hebrew text into database directly, I suggest you could check your database table’s column type to make sure it’s NVARCHAR not VARCHAR.

Details ,you could refer to below test result.

Use VARCHAR:

Use NVARCHAR:

Best Regards,

Jiadong Meng

Answer 4

User-2012457684 posted

Yes, it is nvarchar, that goes without saying.   mgebhard's solution works when I am not saving a mixture of English and Hebrew.   Which the JavaScript code will be. 

When it is all Hebrew I can use that solution.  I cannot do so however, when it isn't and that is the dilemma I am faced with.     

Answer 5

User475983607 posted

mj1223

Yes, it is nvarchar, that goes without saying.   mgebhard's solution works when I am not saving a mixture of English and Hebrew.   Which the JavaScript code will be. 

When it is all Hebrew I can use that solution.  I cannot do so however, when it isn't and that is the dilemma I am faced with.     

The input parameter is defined using AddWithValue().  Specify NVARCHAR.

oCmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Script",Script);

Also, your original code input parameter is VARCHAR not NVARCHAR and you're code is HTML encoding the values.  

Keep in mind, the community cannot provide an accurate solution without accurate sample code.

Answer 6

User-2012457684 posted

Thanks,  I was not aware that using the AddWithValue method did not save as nvarchar.

So I switched to using the Add method where I specify the SqlDbType.NVarChar and it saved properly.