Error
Error Code:
1470
MariaDB Error 1470: String Too Long for Column
Description
Error 1470 indicates that you are attempting to store a string value in a database column that is longer than the column's defined maximum length. This typically occurs during `INSERT` or `UPDATE` operations when the data provided by an application or user exceeds the schema's constraints.
Error Message
String '%s' is too long for %s (should be no longer than %d)
Known Causes
3 known causesInput String Exceeds Column Limit
The specific string value being inserted or updated is longer than the maximum length defined for the target database column.
Insufficient Column Length Definition
The database schema defines the column with a maximum length that is too short for the data it is intended to store.
Application Input Validation Failure
The client application sending the data to MariaDB does not properly validate or truncate user input, allowing oversized strings to be sent.
Solutions
3 solutions available1. Increase Column Size medium
Modify the table schema to allow longer strings in the affected column.
1
Identify the table and column causing the error. You can often find this information in the error message itself or by examining your application's logs.
2
Determine the appropriate new size for the column. Consider the maximum expected length of the data you intend to store.
3
Connect to your MariaDB server.
4
Execute an ALTER TABLE statement to modify the column's data type and size. For example, to change a VARCHAR(255) to VARCHAR(500):
ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY COLUMN your_column_name VARCHAR(500);5
If you are dealing with a TEXT or BLOB type, you might need to change it to a larger variant (e.g., TEXT to MEDIUMTEXT, BLOB to MEDIUMBLOB) or even LONGTEXT/LONGBLOB if the data is extremely large.
ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY COLUMN your_column_name LONGTEXT;6
Verify the change by describing the table.
DESCRIBE your_table_name;2. Truncate or Sanitize Input Data easy
Modify application logic to ensure data does not exceed column limits before insertion or update.
1
Review the application code responsible for inserting or updating data into the affected table and column.
2
Implement data validation and sanitization. Before sending data to the database, check its length and truncate it if it exceeds the column's maximum size.
if (data.length > maxLength) { data = data.substring(0, maxLength); }3
Consider how you want to handle data that is too long. Options include truncating, logging a warning, or returning an error to the user.
4
Test the application thoroughly after implementing these changes to ensure data integrity and prevent unexpected data loss.
3. Use Appropriate TEXT/BLOB Data Types medium
Switch to larger text or binary data types if the data is inherently large.
1
Determine if the data you are storing is truly meant to be a short string or if it's a larger piece of text or binary data.
2
If the data is text and can exceed the limits of VARCHAR (e.g., 65,535 bytes), consider using TEXT types: TINYTEXT (256 bytes), TEXT (65KB), MEDIUMTEXT (16MB), LONGTEXT (4GB).
3
If the data is binary (e.g., images, files), consider using BLOB types: TINYBLOB, BLOB, MEDIUMBLOB, LONGBLOB.
4
Modify the table schema using ALTER TABLE to change the column's data type to the appropriate TEXT or BLOB type.
ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY COLUMN your_column_name MEDIUMTEXT;5
Ensure your application is compatible with the new data type.