Re: Question on storing non english character

Thank you Mark.

Is there any downside(may be storage or performance/stats side etc) if by default we create all the new VARCHAR2 columns of table a VARCHAR2(N CHAR) even if the column is going to just hold all english/single byte characters? Asking because, Oracle has not made that N CHAR as default , which would have helped in accepting multilingual characters without modifying column types. So is there any reason for not doing that and thus a negative impact if we do so?

On Wed, Aug 25, 2021 at 8:17 PM Powell, Mark <mark.powell2_at_dxc.com> wrote:

> Last I knew, "*Oracle recommends* that you leave this initialization
> parameter undefined or you set it to BYTE." This recommendation can be
> found in Database Globalization Support Guide. Check your version.
>
> Changing the parameter at the database level can impact existing
> applications. When creating objects, you can either change the parameter
> at the session level or code the table column definitions to explicitly
> specify character instead of BYTE.
>
> Mark Powell
> Database Administration
> (313) 592-5148
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org <oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org> on
> behalf of Pap <oracle.developer35_at_gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, August 25, 2021 10:10 AM
> *To:* Oracle L <oracle-l_at_freelists.org>
> *Subject:* Question on storing non english character
>
> Hello Listers, We are getting some requirements in which many of the
> attributes in our database may need to cater to non english/multi byte
> characters. Currently we have the defaults setup as bytes at the database
> level. Which means if we create any attribute with varchar2(N) it defaults
> to varchar2(N bytes). And existing attributes are defined the same way ,
> say e.g varchar2(N bytes). so they have to be varchar2(N char) to work
> without fail.
>
> My question is , if there exists any downside if we set it(CHAR) as
> default at the database level? or say by default create all the new table
> columns as VARCHAR2(N CHAR)?
>
>
>

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