Re: LENGTH function and trailing spaces

Now I also see what you mean. I think you could probably get round your problem by doing the following. SELECT LENGTH(vc+"B") -1 FROM kirk It should work but I have not tried it. > I now see what I was saying wrong. I kept saying CHAR and I meant > VARCHAR. According to the Guide to SQL: Reference manual (pg 3-18 Data > types) > "The database server does NOT strip a VARCHAR object of any > user-entered trailing blanks, nor does the database server > pad the VARCHAR to the full length of the column." > > ok.. so the question is: if I do this: > > CREATE TABLE KIRK (VC VARCHAR(100)) > > INSERT INTO KIRK VALUES ('KIRK AND 2 TRAILING BLANKS ')> > then how do I find out (in a SQL stmt (no 3-GL code)) that > the length stored for that INSERT is 28 cause LENGTH(VC) > will surely return 26 won't it? > > > > > Watje, Paul (watjep@emspo01.hasting.com) wrote: > > : Just look in a manual at the definition for syscolumns and it will > give you : the length > : of a char field. I just wrote a small 4gl to re-create an image of a > table : and had to > : do something similar. > : ===================================================================== > : Paul Watje Database Something or Another > : watjep@hasting.com Hastings Books, Music, & Video > > : ---------- > : From: ilist > : To: informix-list > : Subject: LENGTH function and trailing spaces > : Date: Tuesday, April 04, 1995 9:14PM > > > : Length is documented as returning the length of a character column, > : not including the trailing spaces. What method do I use IN SQL to > : get the REAL length of character column? i.e. what size would be > : available to a program that fetched that column > > : -- > : Kirk Bradley > : Oracle Corporation > : Mainframe and Integration Technologies Group > > > -- > Kirk Bradley > Oracle Corporation > Mainframe and Integration Technologies Group > Malcolm Weallans Online Database Consultancy 2 Arkley Court Maidenhead Berks SL6 2YR Phone 0628-72154 Fax 0628-37463 CIX - onlinedbc