Does a varchar put additional overhead on the dbms making it store an offset value for each row?


>>> If this is the case can someone tell me why char is the default?
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>I can't.
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>>> What do y'all like to use a preference for basic text?
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>nvarchar()
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>When dealing with SQL Server 6.5, it was perferable to use a fixed, non-nullable datatype, like CHAR. I don't remember the exact reason but it had to do with the way that the row was organized on the page.
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>For SQL Server 7.0 and later, those issues were addressed. Most recommendations that I have seen list using varchar() over char().
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>-Mike