When attempting to insert or update a value in a table and it is larger than the maximum field size, one of the most common errors in SQL Server is the message “String or binary data would be truncated”. To avoid this error and insert the string with truncation, the ANSI_WARNINGS option should be set to OFF. This will cause the SQL Server engine to no longer generate this error on execution, and data will be automatically truncated to the length of the target column and inserted. When set to ON at database compatibility level 150, truncation errors generate the new error message 2628 to provide more context and simplify the troubleshooting process.
To find which specific row and column are causing the problem, one must try to identify what data triggers the error. Once this is done, adjustments can be made. It is important to note that when using the SET ANSI_WARNINGS OFF command, it causes 14-character text to be truncated and stored in a 10-character column. Therefore, it is not recommended to use this command as it can lead to data loss.
Instead, one should use a store procedure to help identify and solve the problem of text truncation (string or binary data would be truncated) when using the INSERT SELECT statement. In conclusion, this article has covered how to resolve the error “String or binary data would be truncated” in SQL Server. It is important to note that SET ANSI_WARNINGS OFF should not be used as it can lead to data loss. Instead, one should use a store procedure to help identify and solve the problem of text truncation when using the INSERT SELECT statement.
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