The "query.encode(site.encoding())" only makes sense if:

1. the values in the database are encoded in site.encoding, but stored in a "latin-1" [1] column as bytes (i.e. not using utf8/"utf8mb4" [2] charset/collations in mysql)
2. the communication with mysql is in latin-1 (there is no SET NAMES utf8 and character_set_client / character_set_results / character_set_connection are not set)

[1] "latin-1" as it's actually windows-1252, but MySQL calls it latin-1.

Basically, there are two pieces of relevant information:

1. what charset does mysql think the table is in (WMF: latin-1. Many other contexts: utf-8) --> run SET NAMES <XXX> for this charset
2. what charset is the data actually in (WMF: utf-8. Other contexts might use latin-1 or others) --> decode bytes we get from mysql using this charset.

gerritadmin wrote:

Change 173332 had a related patch set uploaded by Merlijn van Deen:
Bug 73151: split use of 'site' and 'dbname'

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/173332

@valhallasw This seems to be working for me. Thank you!

Change 179560 had a related patch set uploaded (by John Vandenberg):
Fixing the MySqlPageGenerator

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/179560

Patch-For-Review

See also T75147 .