Import from MySQL db adds padding in CHAR (Text) fields

I'm moving a small application from a MySQL db to MSSQL2K and using the Import feature of SQL2K. The db in question is simple, only three tables, mostly text (CHAR) fields. The problem is that when I examine the field contents I find that the unused cha
racter positions within the fields have been padded with trailing spaces. (Example: original 10 char field containing "ABC" now contains "ABC ". Application not happy. I've tried a number of options in the Import wizard (ansi padding etc) and it
seems to have had no effect. Any ideas? Solutions? KB articles?
Thanks for ANY help.
-J
By definition, a char(10) is always padded with spaces up to the length of the datatype. This is why we call
char a fixed length datatype. If you want a variable length datatype, use varchar.
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
"JManton" <anonymous@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:D89560CC-AAAB-459C-A039-8073C17EB2ED@.microsoft.com...
> I'm moving a small application from a MySQL db to MSSQL2K and using the Import feature of SQL2K. The db in
question is simple, only three tables, mostly text (CHAR) fields. The problem is that when I examine the
field contents I find that the unused character positions within the fields have been padded with trailing
spaces. (Example: original 10 char field containing "ABC" now contains "ABC ". Application not happy.
I've tried a number of options in the Import wizard (ansi padding etc) and it seems to have had no effect.
Any ideas? Solutions? KB articles?
> Thanks for ANY help.
> -J
|||That was it. I guess there are a few diffs between MySQL and MSSQL. I also had to tweak the recordID field and use IDENTITY attribute. Thanks for the quick reply and on-the-mark-help.
-J

Import from MySQL db adds padding in CHAR (Text) fields

I'm moving a small application from a mysql db to MSSQL2K and using the Impo
rt feature of SQL2K. The db in question is simple, only three tables, mostl
y text (CHAR) fields. The problem is that when I examine the field contents
I find that the unused cha
racter positions within the fields have been padded with trailing spaces. (E
xample: original 10 char field containing "ABC" now contains "ABC ".
Application not happy. I've tried a number of options in the Import wizar
d (ansi padding etc) and it
seems to have had no effect. Any ideas? Solutions? KB articles?
Thanks for ANY help.
-JBy definition, a char(10) is always padded with spaces up to the length of t
he datatype. This is why we call
char a fixed length datatype. If you want a variable length datatype, use va
rchar.
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
"JManton" <anonymous@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:D89560CC-AAAB-459C-A039-8073C17EB2ED@.microsoft.com...
> I'm moving a small application from a mysql db to MSSQL2K and using the Import fea
ture of SQL2K. The db in
question is simple, only three tables, mostly text (CHAR) fields. The probl
em is that when I examine the
field contents I find that the unused character positions within the fields
have been padded with trailing
spaces. (Example: original 10 char field containing "ABC" now contains "ABC
". Application not happy.
I've tried a number of options in the Import wizard (ansi padding etc) and i
t seems to have had no effect.
Any ideas? Solutions? KB articles?
> Thanks for ANY help.
> -J|||That was it. I guess there are a few diffs between mysql and MSSQL. I also
had to tweak the recordID field and use IDENTITY attribute. Thanks for the
quick reply and on-the-mark-help.
-J

Import from MySQL db adds padding in CHAR (Text) fields

I'm moving a small application from a MySQL db to MSSQL2K and using the Import feature of SQL2K. The db in question is simple, only three tables, mostly text (CHAR) fields. The problem is that when I examine the field contents I find that the unused character positions within the fields have been padded with trailing spaces. (Example: original 10 char field containing "ABC" now contains "ABC ". Application not happy. I've tried a number of options in the Import wizard (ansi padding etc) and it seems to have had no effect. Any ideas? Solutions? KB articles?
Thanks for ANY help.
-JBy definition, a char(10) is always padded with spaces up to the length of the datatype. This is why we call
char a fixed length datatype. If you want a variable length datatype, use varchar.
--
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
"JManton" <anonymous@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:D89560CC-AAAB-459C-A039-8073C17EB2ED@.microsoft.com...
> I'm moving a small application from a MySQL db to MSSQL2K and using the Import feature of SQL2K. The db in
question is simple, only three tables, mostly text (CHAR) fields. The problem is that when I examine the
field contents I find that the unused character positions within the fields have been padded with trailing
spaces. (Example: original 10 char field containing "ABC" now contains "ABC ". Application not happy.
I've tried a number of options in the Import wizard (ansi padding etc) and it seems to have had no effect.
Any ideas? Solutions? KB articles?
> Thanks for ANY help.
> -J