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Description

This error occurs when attempting to define a column with a length that exceeds the maximum allowed for its data type in MariaDB. It typically arises during table creation or alteration (ALTER TABLE) operations when a string-based column (like VARCHAR or CHAR) is specified with an excessive size.

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Error Message

Column length too big for column '%s' (max = %lu); use BLOB or TEXT instead

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Known Causes

3 known causes

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Exceeding Data Type Max Length

Defining a `VARCHAR` or `CHAR` column with a byte length that surpasses the maximum allowed for that specific data type, often 65535 bytes for `VARCHAR`.

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Multi-byte Character Set Usage

When employing multi-byte character sets (e.g., `utf8mb4`), each character consumes more bytes, which reduces the effective maximum character length for `VARCHAR` columns.

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Database Page Size Constraint

The total length of a column, particularly if it's involved in an index or contributes significantly to the row size, might exceed the maximum allowed size within a database page.

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Solutions

3 solutions available

1. Change Column Type to TEXT or BLOB easy

Replace the oversized VARCHAR with a more suitable TEXT or BLOB type.

1

Identify the table and column causing the error. The error message will usually specify the column name.

ERROR 1074 (42000): Column length too big for column 'your_column_name' (max = 65535); use BLOB or TEXT instead

2

Alter the table to change the data type of the problematic column. Choose the appropriate TEXT or BLOB type based on the expected data size and nature (binary vs. character data).

ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY COLUMN your_column_name TEXT;

3

If you expect binary data (like images or files), use a BLOB type. For character data, TEXT is more appropriate. For very large character data, consider LONGTEXT.

ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY COLUMN your_column_name BLOB;

4

Verify the change by describing the table structure.

DESCRIBE your_table_name;

2. Reduce Maximum VARCHAR Length easy

Shrink the VARCHAR column's maximum length if the data doesn't actually require that much space.

1

Analyze the data currently stored in the column and determine a reasonable maximum length that accommodates your typical data. You might need to query existing data to estimate.

SELECT MAX(LENGTH(your_column_name)) FROM your_table_name;

2

Alter the table to reduce the VARCHAR column's length. Ensure the new length is greater than or equal to the maximum length of your existing data.

ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY COLUMN your_column_name VARCHAR(new_max_length);

3

For example, if the maximum length of your data is 500 characters, you might change it to VARCHAR(512) or VARCHAR(1024) to provide some buffer.

ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY COLUMN your_column_name VARCHAR(1024);

4

Verify the change by describing the table structure.

DESCRIBE your_table_name;

3. Store Large Data Externally medium

Move very large data out of the database into a separate storage system.

1

Identify columns that consistently store very large amounts of data and are not frequently queried for their full content.

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2

Implement a mechanism to store this data outside the database, such as a file system, cloud storage (e.g., Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage), or a dedicated object storage solution.

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3

In your database table, replace the large column with a reference (e.g., a file path or a URL) to the stored external data.

ALTER TABLE your_table_name ADD COLUMN data_reference VARCHAR(255);

4

Modify your application code to read from and write to the external storage system, using the database reference to locate the data.

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Related Errors

5 related errors

MariaDB Error 1074: Column Length Too Big