</row>

<row>

<entry><type>character(<replaceable>n</replaceable>)</type>, <type>char(<replaceable>n</replaceable>)</type>, <type>bpchar(<replaceable>n</replaceable>)</type></entry>

<entry>fixed-length, blank padded</entry>

<entry>fixed-length, blank-padded</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><type>bpchar</type></entry>

<entry>variable unlimited length, blank-trimmed</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><type>text</type></entry>

<para>

The type name <type>varchar</type> is an alias for <type>character

varying</type>, while <type>char</type>and <type>bpchar</type> are

aliases for <type>character</type>.

The<type>varchar</type> and <type>char</type> aliases are defined in

the<acronym>SQL</acronym> standard, but <type>bpchar</type> is

a<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> extension.

varying</type>, while <type>bpchar</type>(with length specifier) and

<type>char</type> arealiases for <type>character</type>. The

<type>varchar</type> and <type>char</type> aliases are defined in the

<acronym>SQL</acronym> standard; <type>bpchar</type> is a

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> extension.

</para>

<para>

If specified, the length <replaceable>n</replaceable> must be greater

than zero and cannot exceed 10485760.

<type>character</type> without length specifier is equivalent to

<type>character(1)</type>. If <type>character varying</type> is used

without length specifier, the type accepts strings of any size.

than zero and cannot exceed 10,485,760. If <type>character

varying</type> (or <type>varchar</type>) is used without

length specifier, the type accepts strings of any length. If

<type>bpchar</type> lacks a length specifier, it also accepts strings

of any length, but trailing spaces are semantically insignificant.

If <type>character</type> (or <type>char</type>) lacks a specifier,

it is equivalent to <type>character(1)</type>.

</para>

<para>