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Description

Error 1470 indicates that an attempt was made to store a string value that exceeds the maximum length allowed for the target column. This typically occurs during `INSERT` or `UPDATE` statements when the data provided is longer than the column's defined capacity, leading to data truncation or a failed operation.

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Error Message

String '%s' is too long for %s (should be no longer than %d)

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Known Causes

4 known causes

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Data Exceeds Column Definition

The string value being inserted or updated is longer than the `VARCHAR`, `CHAR`, `TEXT`, or other string column's defined maximum length in the database schema.

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Incorrect Column Type/Size

The database column was initially defined with an insufficient length or an inappropriate data type for the expected data, causing a mismatch with actual data size.

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Application Logic Error

The application code is attempting to store unvalidated or untruncated data into the database, leading to length mismatches with the defined schema.

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Character Set Encoding Issues

When using multi-byte character sets (e.g., UTF-8), a single character might consume multiple bytes, potentially exceeding a column's byte-based length limit even if the character count seems acceptable.

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Solutions

3 solutions available

1. Increase Column Length medium

Modify the table schema to allow longer strings for the affected column.

1

Identify the table and column causing the error. The error message usually provides this information.

2

Determine the new desired maximum length for the column. Ensure it's greater than the length of the string causing the error.

3

Connect to your MySQL server using a client like `mysql` command-line or a GUI tool (e.g., MySQL Workbench, DBeaver).

4

Execute an `ALTER TABLE` statement to modify the column's data type and length. For example, if the column is `VARCHAR(255)` and you need `VARCHAR(500)`:

ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY COLUMN your_column_name VARCHAR(500);

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If the column was originally a `TEXT` type and you want to increase its capacity beyond `VARCHAR` limits, consider changing it to `MEDIUMTEXT` or `LONGTEXT` if appropriate. For instance, to change to `MEDIUMTEXT`:

ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY COLUMN your_column_name MEDIUMTEXT;

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Verify the change by describing the table structure.

DESCRIBE your_table_name;

2. Truncate the Input String easy

Shorten the string being inserted or updated to fit the existing column length.

1

Identify the specific string that is causing the 'String Too Long' error. This is usually visible in the error message or the application logs.

2

In your application code or SQL query, ensure that any string being inserted or updated into the problematic column does not exceed its defined maximum length. You can achieve this by truncating the string.

SELECT LEFT('your_very_long_string', your_column_max_length);

3

If you are writing raw SQL, modify your `INSERT` or `UPDATE` statement to use a string manipulation function like `LEFT()` or `SUBSTRING()` to limit the string's length.

INSERT INTO your_table_name (your_column_name) VALUES (LEFT('your_very_long_string_here', 255));

4

If the truncation logic is within your application, adjust the code to slice the string before sending it to the database.

// Example in Python
value_to_insert = your_very_long_string[:column_max_length]

5

Consider if losing data by truncation is acceptable. If not, this is not a suitable long-term solution and you should consider increasing the column length.

3. Use a Larger Text Data Type medium

Change the column's data type to a more accommodating text type like TEXT, MEDIUMTEXT, or LONGTEXT.

1

Determine the maximum possible length of the data you intend to store. This will guide your choice of text data type.

2

Connect to your MySQL server.

3

Execute an `ALTER TABLE` statement to change the column's data type. Common options and their approximate maximum lengths are:
- `TINYTEXT`: 255 bytes
- `TEXT`: 65,535 bytes (64 KB)
- `MEDIUMTEXT`: 16,777,215 bytes (16 MB)
- `LONGTEXT`: 4,294,967,295 bytes (4 GB)

ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY COLUMN your_column_name MEDIUMTEXT;

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Choose the data type that best suits your needs without over-allocating resources. `TEXT` is often sufficient for many use cases, while `MEDIUMTEXT` or `LONGTEXT` are for very large strings.

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