Re: LENGTH function and trailing spaces

June Tong (junet@informix.com) wrote: : Kirk Bradley (kbradley@130.35.1.6) wrote: : : Sorry.. I didn't mean the dictionary length. I meant the length for each : : row. i.e. the length of a column as stored on disk. If I store 'KIRK ' : : and 'KIRK' I'd expect length(name) to give me 4 in both cases (cause : : it ignores trailing spaces) but I'd like to know if there is a SQL : : expression I can use to return 5 and 4. i.e. the length I would get : : if I fetched this column into a C program. : Hmmm... I don't see a response to this yet... strange... Strange indeed. I've seen several. : The length of the column as stored on disk is the same as the dictionary : length, if you're talking about CHAR type. If you define your column as : CHAR(10), both 'KIRK' and 'KIRK ' are stored as 'KIRK '. On disk, : they're both stored with a length of 10. length(colname) will return 4 on : both. In other words, they are the same. : If you define the column as VARCHAR, then both 'KIRK' and 'KIRK ' are : stored as 'KIRK', and take up 4 bytes on disk (plus one for the length). : length(colname) will return 4 on both. In other words, they are the same. : I believe there is a way to get 'KIRK ' into a VARCHAR, and have length : return 5, but I don't remember how. Maybe when you LOAD it? I think you are mistaken, June. I can do it with INSERT ... VALUES ... from dbaccess! : Hey, should I be answering questions for someone from Oracle? ;-) They have to learn from somewhere I guess. :-) -- graeme -- Disclaimer: The author's opinions are his own, and not necessarily those of Pyramid Technology Ltd. or Pyramid Technology Inc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -m------- Graeme Sargent Voice: +44 (0)252 373035 ---mmm----- Senior Database Consultant Fax : +44 (0)252 373135 -----mmmmm--- Pyramid Technology Ltd. Telex: Tell who??? -------mmmmmmm- Farnborough, Hants GU14 7PL Email: graeme@pyra.co.uk --------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have the technology. The tricky bit is learning how to use it.