Question

In my Django app, I’m uploading a text file, using file.read() to get the contents of the file, and then saving to the database (using Django’s .save() method).

I’m getting the following error:

Environment:

Request Method: POST
Request URL: http://localhost:8000/
Django Version: 1.2.5
Python Version: 2.7.1
Installed Applications:
['django.contrib.auth',
 'django.contrib.contenttypes',
 'django.contrib.sessions',
 'django.contrib.sites',
 'django.contrib.messages',
 'django.contrib.admin',
 'django.contrib.markup',
 'files']
Installed Middleware:
('django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
 'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
 'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
 'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
 'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware')


Traceback:
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/django/core/handlers/base.py" in get_response
  100.                     response = callback(request, *callback_args, **callback_kwargs)
File "/home/mcrittenden/Dropbox/Code/dropdo-django/dropdo/files/views.py" in index
  31.                 return handle_upload(request.FILES['file'])
File "/home/mcrittenden/Dropbox/Code/dropdo-django/dropdo/files/views.py" in handle_upload
  60.     file.save()
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/django/db/models/base.py" in save
  458.         self.save_base(using=using, force_insert=force_insert, force_update=force_update)
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/django/db/models/base.py" in save_base
  551.                     result = manager._insert(values, return_id=update_pk, using=using)
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/django/db/models/manager.py" in _insert
  195.         return insert_query(self.model, values, **kwargs)
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/django/db/models/query.py" in insert_query
  1524.     return query.get_compiler(using=using).execute_sql(return_id)
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py" in execute_sql
  788.         cursor = super(SQLInsertCompiler, self).execute_sql(None)
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py" in execute_sql
  732.         cursor.execute(sql, params)
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/django/db/backends/util.py" in execute
  15.             return self.cursor.execute(sql, params)
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py" in execute
  86.             return self.cursor.execute(query, args)
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/MySQLdb/cursors.py" in execute
  168.         if not self._defer_warnings: self._warning_check()
File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/MySQLdb/cursors.py" in _warning_check
  82.                     warn(w[-1], self.Warning, 3)

Exception Type: Warning at /
Exception Value: Incorrect string value: '\xEF\xBB\xBF# W...' for column 'contents' at row 1

I’m assuming (since EF BB BF is the UTF BOM character) this is due to a difference in charset between the DB and the file? Does that sound valid? If so, how do I fix it?

Answer 1

You’re on the right path. Check the charset of your database (is it utf-8?). If it isn’t and you want to use UTF-8, change the charset by using this SQL command

alter table yourTableName DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8;

And read this great tutorial on using UTF-8 in Python if you want to convert your UTF-8 string back.

You can strip the DOM by using this command

# Strip the BOM from the beginning of the Unicode string, if it exists
u.lstrip( unicode( codecs.BOM_UTF8,
“utf8” ) )