What's the Length?

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What's the Length?

Umer Akram

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Points: 22209
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January 9, 2016 at 11:33 am

#323463

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January 10, 2016 at 10:23 pm

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patricklambin SSCrazy Eights Points: 9994 More actions · Answer 1

Interesting question but an easy one for me only because I remembered that the default value of the max length of a string is 4000. I have to admit that I needed 5 minutes to be sure of the correct value ( 3996 ) in this case.

The solution you provided is interesting and useful at least according to me. I am sure I would need 15 minutes to find it as I have not used this function since the release of SQL Server 2008 a long time ago ... ( pure T-SQL is not my preferred topic , but I will do some tests in the next days ).

Koen Verbeeck SSC Guru Points: 259085 More actions · Answer 2

Great question to start the week. Thanks!

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Ed Wagner SSC Guru Points: 287024 More actions · Answer 3

The MAX lengths will get you every time when it comes to lengths and joining to them. Interesting question.

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Luis Cazares SSC Guru Points: 183698 More actions · Answer 4

I would actually change the variable definition.

DECLARE

@max-2 AS NVARCHAR(MAX) = ''

, @Var AS NVARCHAR(MAX) = 'ABCabc123';

SELECT

@max-2 = REPLICATE(@Var, 445);

SELECT

CASE WHEN LEN(@Max) = LEN(@Var) * 445 THEN 'Simple math'

ELSE 'It''s complicated'

END;

This is a common problem when creating long dynamic sql strings. I hope that people learn from this question.

Luis C.
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david.gugg SSCertifiable Points: 6032 More actions · Answer 5

Fun questions, thanks Umer Akram.

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Rich Mechaber SSChampion Points: 11130 More actions · Answer 6

Interesting question. I learned something, b/c I don't use REPLICATE() for long strings.

The explanation from BOL is quite specific:

If string_expression is not of type varchar(max) or nvarchar(max), REPLICATE truncates the return value at 8,000 bytes. To return values greater than 8,000 bytes, string_expression must be explicitly cast to the appropriate large-value data type.

Rich

George Vobr SSCrazy Eights Points: 9916 More actions · Answer 7

A really interesting question , thanks Umer . But just simple complicated? 😉

DECLARE

@max-2 AS NVARCHAR(MAX) = ''

, @Var AS VARCHAR(4000) = 'ABCabc123';-- Varchar instead Nvarchar --

SET @max-2 = REPLICATE(@Var, 445);

SELECT LEN(@Max) as LenMax, LEN(@Var) * 445 as LenVar,

DATALENGTH(@Max) as DataLenMax, DATALENGTH(@Var) * 445 as DataLenVar;

Ref.: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms174383.aspx

akljfhnlaflkj SSC Guru Points: 76202 More actions · Answer 8

akljfhnlaflkj

SSC Guru

Points: 76202

February 17, 2016 at 4:43 pm

#1859424

Nice question, thanks.