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Data Type for formatted text field

  • June 9, 2005 at 9:18 am

    #93195

    Hi All

    What data type would you use to insert formatted text and keep its formatting. Such as paragraphs and line breaks?

    Blaine

  • June 9, 2005 at 9:21 am

    #564262

    varchar/text (might need unicode but I doubt it)

  • June 9, 2005 at 9:23 am

    #564264

    Remi I was using varchar but it seems to concatenate the text? What do I use unicode?

  • June 9, 2005 at 11:02 am

    #564311

    UNicode is if you need some japanese characters or something like that. You'll hve to use text if you go over 8000 characters of data on a single line.

  • June 9, 2005 at 1:33 pm

    #564370

    Use the TEXT datatype. Your front-end will have to do all the interpretation of such data.

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • June 10, 2005 at 1:24 am

    #564491

    Frank is correct!

    varchar and nvarchar are stored with (start & end pointers), for different stored lengths, but dont retain line returns and tabs...

    TEXT is stored similar to IMAGE, as "blob space" which retains all special characters such as in binary code...

    Like an FTP transfer (char versus binary)

    Regards,

    Coach James

  • June 10, 2005 at 6:41 am

    #564553

    WHAT (I know Frank is correct)?????????

    Declare @v-2 table (a varchar(100))

    Declare @Text as varchar(100)

    Set @Text = 'ARE ' + CHAR(10) + CHAR(13) + CHAR(9) + 'YOU' + CHAR(10) + CHAR(13) + CHAR(9) + CHAR(9) + 'SURE????'

    Insert into @v-2 (a) values (@Text)

    Select * from @v-2

  • June 10, 2005 at 7:47 pm

    #564858

    Job security is doing a job which no one else can interpet or support; So most companies must throw out the work and start again...

    A Better method is to keep programming simple and direct, so it can be supported by the Greglorious's of the world...

    Regards,

    Coach James

  • June 10, 2005 at 7:51 pm

    #564859

    Are you sure this is related to this post?

  • June 10, 2005 at 8:02 pm

    #564862

    EXAMPLE:

    Using front-end application to update and maintain journal free formated text...

    Are suggesting that varchar be used with some kind of parser to retain returns and tabs?

    Or could it not be simplified in using TEXT as this is its purpose?

    Regards,

    Coach James

  • June 10, 2005 at 8:26 pm

    #564863

    Text is just a longuer version of Varchar... the only question is the max expected size of the data, on which we have no information. So this is effectivly a moo(t) point.

  • June 13, 2005 at 1:59 pm

    #565110

    http://www.sql-server-performance.com/datatypes.asp

    Regards,

    Coach James

  • June 13, 2005 at 2:11 pm

    #565112

    Still a pointless debate.

    Use what you like and I'll keep using text datatype only when I need to, and it's still not known to be the case here. I've kept and still keep formatted text in varchar columns without a hitch.

    I consider this thread closed.

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