Max length of varchar in Sql Server?

Question

What is the max length of varchar in Sql? What does varchar(255) means? Does it mean that 255 is the maximum length?

Rijwan Ansari · Answer

What is the max length of varchar in Sql? - for varchar max lenght is 8000 bytes. For max lenth we use varchar(max). varchar(255) means you can store upto 255 bytes only in this column.

geetha velusamy · Answer

SQL maximum column name length limitation is 128 characters. If we create more than 128 characters, it shows an error. The total number of columns limitation is 1024. We cannot create more than 1024 columns in SQL server. Retrieve the Maximum Length of Column: select max(datalength(empid)) from emp

Vinitha T · Answer

* The maximum length of Varchar in SQL is 1-8000 bytes. * varchar(255) means maximum it can store 255 bytes * When the maximum length of varchar exits more than 8000 bytes, can prefer Varchar(max). * The maximum storage value of varchar(max) is 2^31 - 1 bytes.

Abhishek Jaiswal · Answer

Hello! please go through this link, its going to solve your all queries. http://sqlhints.com/2013/03/10/difference-between-sql-server-varchar-and-varcharmax-data-type/

Anupam Singh · Answer

Dont worry Sir Ji, Varchar: It can store maximum 8000 Non-Unicode characters (i.e. maximum storage capacity is 8000 bytes of storage) and yes varchar(255) means it can store 255 characters (non-unicode). :) Happy coding.

Akhil Mittal · Answer

My questions remains the same :-(

Sunny Shaikh · Answer

Varchar(max) vs Varchar(255) From the original post (much more information there): When you store data to a VARCHAR(N) column, the values are physically stored in the same way. But when you store it to a VARCHAR(MAX) column, behind the screen the data is handled as a TEXT value. So there is some additional processing needed when dealing with a VARCHAR(MAX) value. (only if the size exceeds 8000) VARCHAR(MAX) or NVARCHAR(MAX) is considered as a 'large value type'. Large value types are usually stored 'out of row'. It means that the data row will have a pointer to another location where the 'large value' is stored...