What is the Difference between VARCHAR and TEXT in MySQL? - Scaler Topics

What is the Difference Between VARCHAR and TEXT in MySQL?

Varchar vs Text in MySQL has been an important topic. Textual data is stored in MySQL using TEXT and VARCHAR data. While they may seem similar, key differences between the two can impact their usage.

The quantity of data that may be stored by TEXT and VARCHAR differs significantly. While TEXT can store bigger amounts of data up to a maximum of 4 gigabytes ($2^{32}-1$) characters, VARCHAR can store strings of variable length up to 65,535 characters.

The way that TEXT and VARCHAR are stored in the database is another difference between them. Given that VARCHAR columns hold data in a variable-length format, the amount of storage space needed for each item depends on how long it is. Contrarily, because TEXT columns are stored in a static-length format, the amount of storage space needed for each value is constant.

Due to these variations, one data type may be better suited for a certain use case than the other. For storing short to medium-length strings like names, locations, and descriptions, VARCHAR is typically a preferable option. For storing greater amounts of textual data, such as articles, comments, and messages, TEXT is a preferable option.

There are performance differences between TEXT and VARCHAR in addition to differences in the volume of data they can contain. VARCHAR typically performs better than TEXT because it needs less storage and provides quicker access to the data. While handling higher amounts of data, this speed benefit may be lost. Thus in MySQL, text vs varchar is an important topic. In this article, we will look at more key differences between them.

Comparison Table of MySQL TEXT vs. VARCHAR

Here are the key differences between Varchar vs Text in MySQL

Features of VARCHAR and TEXT

VARCHAR and TEXT are used to store textual data in a MySQL database but have different features. Let's look at each of them to learn more about Varchar vs Text in MySQL.

VARCHAR

• VARCHAR stands for "variable-length character." You can store strings of different lengths using it.
• A VARCHAR column can contain up to 65,535 characters. It makes sense to use this method to store short to medium-length strings like names, locations, and descriptions.
• Because each value in a VARCHAR column is kept in a variable-length format, the amount of storage space needed for each value varies based on its actual length.

TEXT

• Larger volumes of textual data are stored using the TEXT format.
• You can use it to store strings up to 4GB in length. It works well for storing lengthy texts like messages, comments, and articles.
• The amount of storage space needed for each value in TEXT columns is fixed because they are kept in a static-length format.

Declaration of VARCHAR and TEXT

To declare a VARCHAR or TEXT column in a MySQL database, you need to specify its name, data type, and length. Here's how to declare them:

VARCHAR

In this example, we've created a table called "example" with two columns: "id" and "name." The "name" column is of type VARCHAR and has a maximum length of 50 characters.

TEXT

In this example, we've created a table called "example" with two columns: "id" and "description." The "description" column is of type TEXT and can store up to 4GB of data.

Performance of VARCHAR and TEXT

The quantity of the data being stored and the activities being carried out on it can affect how well VARCHAR and TEXT perform in the comparison of Varchar vs Text in MySQL. VARCHAR typically performs better than TEXT because it needs less storage and provides quicker access to the data. While handling higher amounts of data, this speed benefit may be lost.

Indexing is a way to optimize queries by creating a data structure that allows for faster access to data in a table. Indexes are used to speed up searches, sorting, and data retrieval by reducing the amount of data that needs to be examined to satisfy a query.

When an index is created on a column in a MySQL table, MySQL creates a separate data structure that contains a copy of the data in that column, along with a pointer to the location of the actual data in the table. This data structure is known as an index tree, and it allows MySQL to quickly find the location of data in the table.

While deciding between Text vs Varchar in MySQL, indexing should also be taken into account in addition to performance. The ability to index VARCHAR columns can greatly enhance query performance when looking for certain values, however, the index can contain a limited number of characters, so if the column is too big we should create the index using the first few characters, this can still speed the querying process by a lot. Contrarily, TEXT columns cannot be indexed, which might slow down and reduce the effectiveness of finding and sorting through vast amounts of data.