Thread: ...

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From
jeandre@itvs.co.za
Date:
When defining data types, which is better text, varchar or char? I heard
that on Postgres text is better, but I know on Sybase char is more efficient.
Can someone please tell me whether this statement is true and if so why?

Many Thanks
Jeandre


Re:

From
Andrew Sullivan
Date:
On Tue, Feb 11, 2003 at 01:10:12PM +0200, jeandre@itvs.co.za wrote:
> When defining data types, which is better text, varchar or char? I heard
> that on Postgres text is better, but I know on Sybase char is more efficient.
> Can someone please tell me whether this statement is true and if so why?

Avoid char(n) unless you absolutely know you have a constant-length
field.  Even then, you may get surprises.

For practical purposes, text is probably your best bet.  For
compatibility, there is varchar(), which is the same thing as text.
If you need to limit the size, use varchar(n).  Be aware that it is
slightly slower, so don't use it unless your model demands it.

A

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