$data = fetch;
$data = decode_utf8 $data;

Clint

Well, since I don't deal with binary data right now, I didn't think about that part :) Ok, I'll check the new interface, but I want to stay compatible with old versions too...

Also, as clinton noted, your code also requires you to keep track of which columns are binary and which are text.

mysql_enable_utf8 is not an auto feature, so it has no effect unless enabled. If it is in effect and I also use Encode methods, this is like shooting yourself in the foot :)

True enough. I just thought I'd better warn you it won't work if you ever enable the utf8 features in DBD::mysql. Also, if you can use mysql_enable_utf8 it should be more efficient, if possibly less safe (since it just sets the utf8 flag on the right columns, and doesn't do any validation of the actual data).
"What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"

decode_utf8 will only fail if the input is invalid utf-8. whether the data is flagged as utf-8 or not does not matter.

$dbh = DBI->connect($dsn, $username, $password, {mysql_enable_utf8 => 
+1}) || die "Could not connect to $database: $DBI::errstr";
$sth->execute || die "Could not execute statement: ".$sth->errstr."\n"
+;
$sth = $dbh->prepare("select foo from bar where id = '3064'") || die "
+Could not prepare statement: ".$dbh->errstr."\n";
my $string = $sth->fetchrow_array;

print $string . "\n";
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