Re: Database design question

[James Lampert <jamesl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nathan Andelin wrote:
> Thanks for the tip, Jon.  If I understand correctly VARLEN(1000) allocates 1000 bytes
> for storage for the NOTE field initially, which the OS will automatically extend up to
> 32000 bytes, but only if needed.

Not exactly. At least as I understand it, 1000 bytes get stored as part 
of the record, and the rest gets stored "elsewhere" (i.e., some sort of 
non-volatile heap space built into the file). If there's no allocated 
length, the whole note field gets stored "elsewhere," and the field 
itself is just a pointer of some sort and a length.