>>What are the benefits on using a CHAR field versus VARCHAR? The basic idea, back to the first database systems, is that all records have the same length and use the same amount of space in the database. Thus finding a record is just a matter of multiplying this record length by the record number, and read a bunch of bytes: pretty fast.
The problem is that database may grow pretty big if large fields are needed, and use much empty space, especially if many of the fields are empty, an empty field taking exactly as much space than a full field. Then came the VARCHAR, AKA memo field. The idea is to store this field in a special area where all fields have a specific length and occupy only the space they need. The database then stores the address of the data in the record, instead of the data itself, but the record still has the same length. The advantage of memo fields is more efficiency in terms of disk space used, but it also implies a two step process to retrieve data, then it is less efficient in terms of speed. It is then up to the programmer to decide what type of efficiency is the best for his application. General rules are: - the larger the field must be, - the more often this field can be empty, then the better it is to use VARCHAR. -- _______________________________________ REUSE CODE! Use custom tags; See http://www.contentbox.com/claude/customtags/tagstore.cfm (Please send any spam to this address: [EMAIL PROTECTED]) Thanks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| ColdFusion is delivering applications solutions at at top companies around the world in government. Find out how and where now http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/showcase/index.cfm?event=finder&productID=1522&loc=en_us Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Talk/message.cfm/messageid:293911 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4
