# String and VARCHAR

`String` stores variable-length UTF-8 text. Use it for names, labels, messages and other character data. Use `BLOB` for arbitrary bytes and [FixedString](https://coordinatordb.com/docs/reference/data-types/fixedstring) for a fixed byte length.

## Syntax

```text
String
VARCHAR
VARCHAR(n)
NVARCHAR
NVARCHAR(n)
CHARACTER VARYING
CHARACTER VARYING(n)
```

## Length limits

`String` and the declarations without a length have no declared character limit. `VARCHAR(n)` and its length-qualified aliases accept at most `n` Unicode characters, including embedded NUL characters.

The limit counts characters, not UTF-8 bytes. Overlong input raises `STRING_TOO_LONG`; it is not silently truncated. Invalid UTF-8 binary input raises a conversion error.

These rules apply to casts, inserts, updates, defaults and generated values. A top-level column accepts `NULL` unless declared `NOT NULL`.

## Examples

### Storing Unicode text

```sql
CREATE TABLE labels(id UInt32, name VARCHAR(5));
INSERT INTO labels VALUES (1, 'hello'), (2, 'café');
```

```sql
SELECT id, name, length(name) AS characters
FROM labels
ORDER BY id
FORMAT csv;
```

```text
1,"hello",5
2,"café",4
```

A six-character value cannot be stored in this `name` column.

### Casting to a limited string

```sql
SELECT CAST('abc' AS VARCHAR(3)), CAST(42 AS String)
FORMAT csv;
```

```text
"abc","42"
```

See [string functions](https://coordinatordb.com/docs/reference/functions/regular-functions/string-functions) for length, case conversion, slicing and concatenation.