What's the difference between VARCHAR and CHAR?

sql mysql
steven picture steven · Dec 11, 2009 · Viewed 653.9k times · Source

What's the difference between VARCHAR and CHAR in MySQL?

I am trying to store MD5 hashes.

Answer

Anon. picture Anon. · Dec 11, 2009

VARCHAR is variable-length.

CHAR is fixed length.

If your content is a fixed size, you'll get better performance with CHAR.

See the MySQL page on CHAR and VARCHAR Types for a detailed explanation (be sure to also read the comments).

Related questions

How do I import an SQL file using the command line in MySQL?

I have a .sql file with an export from phpMyAdmin. I want to import it into a different server using the command line. I have a Windows Server 2008 R2 installation. I placed the .sql file on the C drive, and …

Read More
How can I prevent SQL injection in PHP?

If user input is inserted without modification into an SQL query, then the application becomes vulnerable to SQL injection, like in the following example: $unsafe_variable = $_POST['user_input']; mysql_query("INSERT INTO `table` (`column`) VALUES ('$unsafe_variable')"); That's …

Read More
What's the difference between INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN and FULL JOIN?

What's the difference between INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN and FULL JOIN in MySQL?

Read More