# CHAR data type

CHAR provides for fixed-length storage of strings.

## Syntax

    CHAR[ACTER] [(length)]

length is an unsigned integer literal designating the length in bytes. The default length for a CHAR is 1, and the maximum size of length is 254.

## Corresponding compile-time Java type

java.lang.String

## JDBC metadata type (java.sql.Types)

CHAR

Derby inserts spaces to pad a string value shorter than the expected length. Derby truncates spaces from a string value longer than the expected length. Characters other than spaces cause an exception to be raised. When comparison boolean operators are applied to CHARs, the shorter string is padded with spaces to the length of the longer string.

When CHARs and VARCHARs are mixed in expressions, the shorter value is padded with spaces to the length of the longer value.

The type of a string constant is CHAR.

## Examples

    -- within a string constant use two single quotation marks
    -- to represent a single quotation mark or apostrophe
    VALUES 'hello this is Joe''s string'

    -- create a table with a CHAR field
    CREATE TABLE STATUS (
        STATUSCODE CHAR(2) NOT NULL
            CONSTRAINT PK_STATUS PRIMARY KEY,
        STATUSDESC VARCHAR(40) NOT NULL
    );

Parent topic: Data types