13.1.1. ALTER DATABASE Syntax
ALTER {DATABASE | SCHEMA} [db_name]
alter_specification [, alter_specification] ...
alter_specification:
[DEFAULT] CHARACTER SET charset_name
| [DEFAULT] COLLATE collation_name
ALTER DATABASE enables you to change the
overall characteristics of a database. These characteristics are
stored in the db.opt file in the database
directory. To use ALTER DATABASE, you need
the ALTER privilege on the database.
ALTER SCHEMA is a synonym for ALTER
DATABASE.
The CHARACTER SET clause changes the default
database character set. The COLLATE clause
changes the default database collation.
Chapter 10, Character Set Support, discusses character set and collation
names.
The database name can be omitted, in which case the statement
applies to the default database.
