Field size

[gwboolean]

Is there any actual value in setting the field size for short text fields? I have been doing this for a long time, but have never actually read anything that is gained. My assumption is that if you set the field size to the max that the database will actually use that much memory for every record created. Is that the case?

[alansidman]

Look here for a simple explanation. MS has changed terminology in recent releases.

[gwboolean]

I went to link you placed and found nothing that addressed my question. Did I miss something?

[Micron]

The reason for the ability to limit a field size is really all about controlling what the user can enter. If you have a field that absolutely always must have a maximum number of characters, you can set a limit. The difference in db size is affected by other things far more than a field that can have 255 characters but you limit it to 15 for example. A slightly more affecting aspect would be a decimal field when an integer would do. Even then, things like design changes, user actions, and storing objects (images/files) have a far more profound effect. It might have mattered more in 1991 when hard drives were around 8 Mb.
I'd say impose a limit only if not doing so would allow too much for a form or report design to handle, and it's likely to happen.

[gwboolean]

Thanks MIcron. Good to know. I guess I am a nineties guy and still think in terms of 8M instead of 8T.