Are there disadvantages to using VARCHAR(MAX) in a table?

Question

Here is my predicament.

Basically, I need a column in a table to hold up an unknown length of characters. But I was curious if in Sql Server performance problems cou

Answer 1

You cannot create indexes on varchar(max) ( and nvarchar(max)) columns (although they can be included in them. But who would include a column in an index that could get to 2GB?!) so if you want to search on this value, you will do a scan each time unless you use full-text indexes. Also, remember that any report designer or presentation designer (web or otherwise) must assume that someone might put the Encyclopedia into that column and design around it. Nothing is worse than hearing "the users probably won't do X". If a user can do it, they will do it. If a user can put in a tome into a column, at some point they will. If they never should, then IMO, it makes more sense to cap the column size at some reasonable level and if a user tries to stuff more into that column that is allowed, it would elicit a discussion of whether they should be entering that value into that column in the first place.