> like "èòéàùì", the string is stored in the database with other characters instead of those digited by the user.
Well, how does `èòéàùì' look like in your database? Like `èòéà ùì'?
In that case you most probably have initialized your cluster with an
UTF-8 locale while not using a / the correct client encoding.
You can check your database encoding with \l in psql.
If your perl clients don't handle UTF-8, just set a client encoding for
them.
SET client_encoding = LATIN1;
for example.
The client encoding can be set for a user, as default in
postgresql.conf, interactive using the command above and maybe other ways.
> And most important, is it possible to adjust the already inserted strings without having to update the tables?
Your first need to deside what is wrong at all -- the way the servers
stores your chars, or the way your client displays them.
> is it possible to change the locale settings thus the strings in the database are displayed rightly?
The client encoding can be set anytime, to change the cluster LOCALE or
database encoding you need to initDB + dump and restore AFAIK.
--
Regards,
Hannes Dorbath