Why is it when connecting with a mysql client on my server I can run "CHARSET utf8mb4" and have the connection's charset changed, but when I try and execute that same statement via mysqli it gives me the following error:
ERROR SQL error in "charset utf8mb4"; You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MariaDB server version for the right syntax to use near 'charset utf8mb4' at line 1
As far as I know, MySQL Server does not have any charset command either. You specify the charset with SET NAMES, which is a short-cut to set several related variables (all of which can be set with the SET command anyway).
You're probably confused with the command of the official command-line client:
mysql> \h
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List of all MySQL commands:
Note that all text commands must be first on line and end with ';'
? (\?) Synonym for `help'.
clear (\c) Clear the current input statement.
connect () Reconnect to the server. Optional arguments are db and host.
delimiter (\d) Set statement delimiter.
ego (\G) Send command to mysql server, display result vertically.
exit (\q) Exit mysql. Same as quit.
go (\g) Send command to mysql server.
help (\h) Display this help.
notee (\t) Don't write into outfile.
print (\p) Print current command.
prompt (\R) Change your mysql prompt.
quit (\q) Quit mysql.
rehash (\#) Rebuild completion hash.
source (\.) Execute an SQL script file. Takes a file name as an argument.
status (\s) Get status information from the server.
tee (\T) Set outfile [to_outfile]. Append everything into given outfile.
use (\u) Use another database. Takes database name as argument.
charset (\C) Switch to another charset. Might be needed for processing binlog with multi-byte charsets.
warnings (\W) Show warnings after every statement.
nowarning (\w) Don't show warnings after every statement.
Since you are using PHP, not the command-line client, it doesn't exist.
Of course, the mysqli way to set the encoding is mysqli::set_charset().
You can use SET CHARACTER SET utf8mb4; statement on connecting to database