We often have columns that can contain values of varying sizes. For these, I like to set the data type to VARCHAR with a size way beyond the current maximum length. For example, if I have a column where the current minimum length for a value is 10 and the maximum length is 35, I might set the data type to VARCHAR(64). My rationale is that Db2 stores the 2 byte length followed by the exact value, therefore, there is no difference, from a storage perspective, defining the data type as VARCHAR(64) instead of VARCHAR(35). And I don't get an error if I a value with a length of 36 comes along.
Is there a nuance that I'm missing and should I not be so glib about my VARCHAR assignments?
The exact formula to calculate row length is described in the docs for CREATE TABLE. VARCHAR(64) or VARCHAR(35) should not make a difference.
Be aware that rows a stored in data pages in tablespaces. Database systems usually pre-allocate pages for performance reasons. Moreover, pages might not be fully filled or there is compression. And you might have defined indexes which require their own pages with structures. Plus there is metadata in the system catalog.