How to Avoid String Truncation in SQL Server

Learn how to avoid string truncation errors in SQL Server by understanding how data types work and using VERBOSE_TRUNCATION_WARNINGS Database-Scoped Configuration.

How to Avoid String Truncation in SQL Server

The String error or binary data would be truncated indicates that the procedure is trying to store something in the DBServerInfo table that is larger than the column allows. To avoid this error and insert the string without truncation, use the ANSI_WARNINGS option. When ANSI_WARNINGS is set to OFF, the error message will not be displayed and the data will be automatically truncated to the length of the target column and inserted. This is the insert statement above with SET ANSI_WARNINGS OFF. When attempting to insert or update a value in a table, one of the most common errors encountered in SQL Server is the message “String or binary data would be truncated”.

This occurs when a value is larger than the maximum field size. To prevent this from happening, you can use the VERBOSE_TRUNCATION_WARNINGS Database-Scoped Configuration to revert to Message 8152 by default. If you want to omit string truncation at a certain time or operation, you have the option to do so in SQL Server, as shown in the article SQL Server: Why not use SET ANSI_WARNINGS OFF. 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.

Next, you may need to run the following query on the database where you want a full truncation warning. I wrote a useful 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. To avoid this issue, it is important to understand how data types work and how they interact with each other. It is also important to understand how different data types are stored in memory and how they are represented in SQL Server. By understanding these concepts, you can ensure that your data is stored correctly and that no data is lost due to truncation. In conclusion, it is important to understand how data types work and how they interact with each other in order to avoid string truncation errors in SQL Server. By using the VERBOSE_TRUNCATION_WARNINGS Database-Scoped Configuration and understanding how different data types are stored in memory, you can ensure that your data is stored correctly and that no data is lost due to truncation.

Charlotte Wilson
Charlotte Wilson

Friendly travel advocate. Freelance zombie scholar. Extreme web practitioner. Evil coffee buff. Professional beer practitioner.

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