Should I use varchar or int?

Varchar is used when the data to be dealt with is a set of characters on which numerical operations cannot be performed directly whereas int is used when certain numerical are to be performed on it.

Should I use text or varchar MySQL?

Use VARCHAR when you have a variable number of characters for every entry. If you need more storage than VARCHAR can provide, CLOB with UTF-8 encoding or equivalent standard type. NEVER use TEXT as it is non-standard.

What is the difference between int and varchar in MySQL?

Integer is for numbers, and varchar is for numbers, letters and other characters (Short text). So for age you can use a int type, for genders you can use the enum() type if there are only two options.

Should you use text or varchar?

A VARCHAR can be part of an index whereas a TEXT field requires you to specify a prefix length, which can be part of an index. VARCHAR is stored inline with the table (at least for the MyISAM storage engine), making it potentially faster when the size is reasonable.

Is CHAR more efficient than varchar?

CHAR is a fixed length field; VARCHAR is a variable length field. If you are storing strings with a wildly variable length such as names, then use a VARCHAR, if the length is always the same, then use a CHAR because it is slightly more size-efficient, and also slightly faster.

Which data type is better to use for storing the name of an item?

Discussion Forum

What is difference between CHAR VARCHAR and TEXT in MySQL?

CHAR items, which are fixed length, are the fastest to store and retrieve but can waste storage space. VARCHAR, a variable-length string, can be slower to store and retrieve but does not waste storage space. TEXT is a character BLOB that requires more storage space and I/O than the other two.

What should I initialize after installing MySQL?

After MySQL is installed, the data directory must be initialized, including the tables in the mysql system database: For some MySQL installation methods, data directory initialization is automatic, as described in Chapter 9, Postinstallation Setup and Testing.

Can I store integer in VARCHAR?

Like any other programming language, SQL also supports a gamut of data types that can hold integer data, date and time data, character data etc. and allows you to define data types of your own as well. SQL varchar is one of the best-known and most-used data types among the lot.

What is the advantage of CHAR over VARCHAR?

it can require less storage than fixed-length types because it uses only as much space as it needs. varchar also uses 1 or 2 extra bytes to record the value’s length. for example varchar(10) will use up to 11 bytes of storage space. varchar helps performance because it saves space.