RE: char vs. varchar in a data warehouse

From: <Jared.Still_at_radisys.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 09:59:15 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.00475518.20020605095915@fatcity.com>

Raj,

What do you mean by :

'oracle still puts in a character to indicate that this column has a NULL value' ?

Oracle does not insert anything into a nullable column when the insert value is an empty string or a NULL.

This is true of both char and varchar2.

Or are you saying that oracle somehow tracks that a NULL was inserted by use of a special character?

( Guess I could dump a block and find out, but it's easier   to ask you. :)

Jared

"Jamadagni, Rajendra" <Rajendra.Jamadagni_at_espn.com> Sent by: root_at_fatcity.com
06/05/2002 09:28 AM
Please respond to ORACLE-L  

        To:     Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com>
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        Subject:        RE: char vs. varchar in a data warehouse

Lisa,

let it be varchar2 ... but the developers are not entirely right too. oracle
still puts in a character to indicate that this column has a NULL value.

So, unless your storage is at premium, leave it as varchar2, because the moment you make it CHAR, the comparison semantics change when you compare that with varchar2 field and that would be an added cost for your SQLS.

Raj

---

Rajendra Jamadagni                               MIS, ESPN Inc.

Rajendra dot Jamadagni at ESPN dot com
Any opinion expressed here is personal and doesn't reflect that of ESPN Inc.

QOTD: Any clod can have facts, but having an opinion is an art!

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Received on Wed Jun 05 2002 - 12:59:15 CDT