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sql-servertextvarcharsqldatatypes

SQL Server Text type vs. varchar data type

I have variable length character data and want to store in SQL Server (2005) database. I want to learn some best practices about how to choose TEXT SQL type or choose VARCHAR SQL type, pros and cons in performance/footprint/function.

Solution

  • If you're using SQL Server 2005 or later, use varchar(MAX). The text datatype is deprecated and should not be used for new development work. From the docs:

    Important

    ntext , text, and image data types will be removed in a future version of Microsoft SQL Server. Avoid using these data types in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use them. Use nvarchar(max), varchar(max), and varbinary(max) instead.