Re: Weird advice : keep varchar2 under 255 bytes ???

From: <fitzjarrell_at_cox.net>
Date: 11 Apr 2005 08:57:23 -0700
Message-ID: <1113235043.357013.289890@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>

Le JeanMimi wrote:
> Hello,
>
> A developer told us that it was best to avoid declaring VARCHAR2
> columns of more than 255 bytes when possible.
> He pretends that Oracle will reserve huge blocks for the resultset
> when the varchar2 size is over 255.
>
> I've never heard of that before. (and don't really believe it)
> May be in a previous version ?
>
> Can you help me ?
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> JM

Your developer needs to provide a source for this 'information', as it's complete hogwash. Declaring a column as VARCHAR2(255) and one as VARCHAR2(4000) and populating both with the same data requires Oracle to allocate the same space for both; the VARCHAR2(4000) is not longer, nor does it require more space in this situation. It's interesting that Oracle regularly uses VARCHAR2 columns greater than 255 in length; 1078 of them in 9.2.0.6, just in the SYS and SYSTEM schemas.

This developer needs to understand the product with which he/she works. The statement you attribute to him/her clearly states the opposite.

David Fitzjarrell Received on Mon Apr 11 2005 - 10:57:23 CDT