4 ms·

Uh, shouldn't you use the most appropriate type available to describe your data, since that will simplify the process if you ever need to migrate to a different

• deleted 13y ago
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• bunderbunder 13y ago
  Nowadays the most appropriate type available to describe your data is a non-standard type that's specific to the RDBMS you're using, often as not. With SQL databases, you can generally only pick one of the following: 1. Any kind of expectation of hassle-free migration to a different RDBMS. 2. Benefiting from much of anything that's happened in any dialect of SQL since about the time Windows 3.1 hit the market. Personally, I generally prefer #2, because #1 is kind of a myth anyway. For example, PosgtgreSQL's VARCHAR type has different semantics from Oracle's: One supports Unicode and the other doesn't.
  • Pxtl 13y ago
    Microsoft follows Oracle's approach and uses NVARCHAR to describe their infernal 2-byte format that might be UCS2-wrongendian or it might be UTF-16 depending on their mood and the tool you're using at the moment. Naked VARCHAR means you have to pick an 8-bit character-set like a savage.
    • bunderbunder 13y ago
      Ya, or for Oracle you might be better off using VARCHAR2, which uses UTF-8. That way you aren't mired in savagery, but don't have to pay the performance hit of storing 2 bytes per character for text that's mostly in western European languages. Whereas SQL Server users are stuck choosing between doubling up on I/O and suffering codepages. Meanwhile in PostgreSQL you just use regular VARCHAR and pick utf8 as your character set like a proper subgenius. Fun fact: In earlier versions of Portal, it was database portability that GlaDOS promised to give you after the experiment.