Ask HN: Can I declare varchar like this in an SQL Column? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Can I declare varchar like this in an SQL Column?

Hey,

I may be totally wrong here because i'm only a junior and not too sure but I was certain that the maximum varchar() that could be set was 255 varchar(255).

However, i'm working on a database at the moment which was developed by another team and they have varchar(9999).

Is that right? I have had a quick Google but can't find it.

Cheers for advice in advance folks :)

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No database has a limit of 255 characters. Varchar limits are; MySQL - 65,535. MS SQL Server 2005 - 8000 (or 2GB if you use varchar(max) ). Oracle 9i - 4000

These are not character limits. They're byte limits. If you're storing multibyte strings (eg unicode-16, emoji, etc) then each character will take up more than one 'space'.

But really, asking on HN? This is what StackOverflow is for.

The OP is not as wrong as you suggest. Prior to MySQL 5.0.3, varchar was limited to 255 bytes. Also, there is a maximum row length for all columns which is 65,535 bytes, so the practical maximum size for a varchar column is less, unless it's the only column in the table.

Thanks for the reply - Very Useful

I thought about that but SO is usually for more detailed questions etc. I have seen similar questions like this be put on hold and slated by the users

You should post this question to stackoverflow.com

I thought about that but SO is usually for more detailed questions etc. I have seen similar questions like this be put on hold and slated by the users. However, the above posters have answered my questions :)

That´s usually the case if you post poorly written questions, both in content and form, to SO. This is actually a good thing for you, as it forces you to think harder about the problem.

And don´t be afraid of SO users. They are there to help and some slating from time to time is good for your soul :)

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