Beginner

93. CHAR Data Type

Understand how CHAR stores fixed-length character data.

📘 Lesson 93 of 728 ⏱ 7 min 🎯 Beginner

CHAR is a character data type designed for fixed-length text. When a CHAR column is defined with a specific length, values are generally stored using that fixed size, with behavior for shorter values depending on the database system.

Fixed-length data can be appropriate when values have a predictable and consistent length, such as certain codes or identifiers.

A country code that always contains two characters can be stored using a fixed-length character type in systems where that design is appropriate.

SQL 
CREATE TABLE Countries (
    CountryCode CHAR(2),
    CountryName VARCHAR(100)
);

CHAR can be useful for fixed-length codes, status indicators, standardized identifiers, and other values with consistent lengths.

  • CHAR is designed for fixed-length character data.
  • A length is specified when defining the column.
  • It can be useful for fixed-length codes.
  • VARCHAR is generally preferred for variable-length text.
  • Exact storage behavior can vary by database system.
What is CHAR in SQL?

CHAR is a character data type designed to store fixed-length text.

What is the basic difference between CHAR and VARCHAR?

CHAR is designed for fixed-length values, while VARCHAR is designed for variable-length values.

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