Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL
- Last updated: Tue Dec 17 23:56:27 EST 2002
+ Last updated: Sun Jan 12 00:16:01 EST 2003
space used is slightly greater than the declared size. However, these
data types are also subject to compression or being stored out-of-line
by TOAST, so the space on disk might also be less than expected.
-
- CHAR(n) is best when storing strings that are usually the same length.
VARCHAR(n) is best when storing variable-length strings but it limits
how long a string can be. TEXT is for strings of unlimited length,
- maximum 1 gigabyte. BYTEA is for storing binary data, particularly
- values that include NULL bytes. These types have similar performance
- characteristics.
+ maximum 1 gigabyte.
+
+ CHAR(n) is for storing strings that are all the same length. CHAR(n)
+ stores trailing spaces, while VARCHAR(n) trims them. BYTEA is for
+ storing binary data, particularly values that include NULL bytes.
+ These types have similar performance characteristics.
4.15.1) How do I create a serial/auto-incrementing field?