Error
Error Code:
1552
MariaDB Error 1552: Column Data Too Long
Description
MariaDB Error 1552, 'Data for column '%s' too long,' indicates that an attempt was made to insert or update data into a table column, but the provided value exceeds the maximum length or capacity defined for that specific column. This error typically occurs during INSERT or UPDATE operations when the string or binary data is too long for the column's datatype and size constraint.
Error Message
Data for column '%s' too long
Known Causes
4 known causesInput Data Exceeds Length
The most common cause: the string or binary data being inserted or updated is literally longer than the column's defined maximum length (e.g., trying to put 100 characters into a VARCHAR(50) column).
Character Set Mismatch
If the client's character set differs from the column's character set, a single character might require more bytes than expected, causing the data to appear longer than its character count suggests when stored.
Multi-byte Characters
When using character sets like UTF-8, some characters require more than one byte. If a column's length is defined in bytes, data containing many multi-byte characters can exceed the byte limit even if the character count is within an assumed range.
Implicit Data Type Conversion
Less common, but an implicit conversion of data from a larger type to a shorter type, or a type that stores length differently, can sometimes trigger this error.
Solutions
4 solutions available1. Truncate or Shorten the Data easy
Reduce the size of the data being inserted to fit the column's defined length.
1
Identify the problematic data. This usually involves reviewing the data you are trying to insert or update.
2
Shorten the string to be less than or equal to the maximum allowed length for the column. For example, if you have a `VARCHAR(255)` column and your data is 300 characters, you need to trim it down.
UPDATE your_table SET your_column = LEFT(your_column_value, max_allowed_length) WHERE some_condition;3
If the data is coming from an application, modify the application logic to ensure it doesn't send data exceeding the column's limits.
2. Increase the Column Length medium
Alter the table schema to allow for larger data in the specific column.
1
Determine the maximum size of the data that needs to be stored. Consider future growth as well.
2
Use the `ALTER TABLE` statement to modify the column's data type and length. For `VARCHAR`, increase the length. For `TEXT` types, ensure it's sufficient.
ALTER TABLE your_table MODIFY COLUMN your_column VARCHAR(new_length_in_characters);3
If you need to store very large amounts of text, consider changing to a `TEXT` type like `MEDIUMTEXT` or `LONGTEXT`.
ALTER TABLE your_table MODIFY COLUMN your_column MEDIUMTEXT;4
After altering the table, retry the insert or update operation.
3. Use a More Suitable Data Type medium
Change the column's data type to one that supports larger data, like `TEXT` variants.
1
Analyze the nature of the data being stored. If it's unstructured text that can be very long, a `VARCHAR` might be inappropriate.
2
Use `ALTER TABLE` to change the column to a `TEXT` data type. MariaDB offers `TINYTEXT`, `TEXT`, `MEDIUMTEXT`, and `LONGTEXT`.
ALTER TABLE your_table MODIFY COLUMN your_column LONGTEXT;3
Be aware of the storage implications. `LONGTEXT` can store up to 4GB of data, which can impact disk space and performance.
4
Re-run the query that caused the error.
4. Review Application Logic for Data Handling advanced
Inspect and correct how your application prepares and sends data to the database.
1
Examine the application code responsible for generating or retrieving the data that is being inserted or updated.
2
Implement validation and truncation logic within the application before sending data to MariaDB. This prevents sending oversized data in the first place.
if (data_string.length > max_allowed_length) { data_string = data_string.substring(0, max_allowed_length); }3
Ensure that any data transformations or aggregations in the application do not inadvertently increase the data size beyond the database column's capacity.
4
If the application is fetching data from an external source, ensure that source doesn't provide data that is too large for your schema.