MS SQL Server Concepts and Programming Question:
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How Fixed Length Strings Are Truncated and Padded?

Answer:

When the length of the input string does not match the storage size of the fixed length string data type CHAR(n). SQL Server will:

* If the input string of CHAR(n) has less than n bytes, it will be padded with space characters to become n bytes.
* If the input string of CHAR(n) has more than n bytes, it will be truncated to n bytes.

The tutorial exercise shows you good examples of truncating and padding fixed length character strings:


-- Length matches the data type size
DECLARE @msg CHAR(36);
SET @msg = 'Welcome to GlobalGuideLine.com SQL Server!';
PRINT '('+@msg+')';
GO
(Welcome to GlobalGuideLine.com SQL Server!)

-- Length is bigger than the data type size - truncated
DECLARE @msg CHAR(24);
SET @msg = 'Welcome to GlobalGuideLine.com SQL Server!';
PRINT '('+@msg+')';
GO
(Welcome to GlobalGuideLine.com)

-- Length is smaller than the data type size - padded
DECLARE @msg CHAR(46);
SET @msg = 'Welcome to GlobalGuideLine.com SQL Server!';
PRINT '('+@msg+')';
GO
(Welcome to GlobalGuideLine.com SQL Server!)


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