String types (VARCHAR, CHAR, TEXT) in MySQL - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the main difference between VARCHAR and CHAR in MySQL?

VARCHAR stores variable-length strings and uses only as much space as needed plus 1 or 2 bytes for length. CHAR stores fixed-length strings and always uses the full length, padding with spaces if needed.

beginner

When should you use TEXT instead of VARCHAR or CHAR?

Use TEXT when you need to store large amounts of text data up to 65,535 bytes (larger than the maximum effective length of VARCHAR). TEXT types are designed for longer text storage with off-row storage.

intermediate

How does MySQL store trailing spaces in CHAR and VARCHAR columns?

CHAR pads shorter strings with spaces to fill the fixed length, and the padding spaces are removed on retrieval. VARCHAR stores the exact string without padding, preserving trailing spaces.

intermediate

What is the maximum length of a VARCHAR column in MySQL?

The maximum length of a VARCHAR column is 65,535 bytes, but this depends on the character set and row size limits.

advanced

Explain the storage difference between TEXT and VARCHAR in MySQL.

TEXT columns are stored outside the table row with a pointer in the row, while VARCHAR stores data directly in the row. TEXT is better for large text but can be slower to access.

Which string type in MySQL uses fixed-length storage?

A CHAR

B TEXT

C VARCHAR

D BLOB

CHAR uses fixed-length storage, always reserving the full length specified.

What happens if you store a shorter string in a CHAR(10) column?

A It pads the string with spaces to length 10

B It stores the string as TEXT

C It truncates the string to 5 characters

D It stores only the characters without padding

CHAR pads shorter strings with spaces to fill the fixed length.

Which type is best for storing very long text data?

A VARCHAR

B CHAR

C TEXT

D INT

TEXT is designed for large text data up to 65,535 bytes.

How does VARCHAR store its data in MySQL?

A Fixed length with padding

B Outside the row with pointer

C As binary data

D Variable length with length prefix

VARCHAR stores variable-length strings with a length prefix to know the size.

What is a limitation of TEXT compared to VARCHAR?

A TEXT cannot store NULL values

B TEXT cannot be indexed fully

C TEXT has a smaller maximum size

D TEXT stores data inline always

TEXT columns have limitations on indexing; only a prefix can be indexed.

Describe the differences between VARCHAR, CHAR, and TEXT in MySQL.

Think about storage size, padding, and typical use cases.

Explain how MySQL handles trailing spaces in CHAR and VARCHAR columns.

Consider how fixed vs variable length affects space storage.