Moving from text to varchar(MAX): Are there any troubles to expect with MS Access?

Question

It is well-known that MS Access applications (MDBs) using SQL Server backends have trouble with certain data types. For example,

• bit field sup

Answer 1

This is an addendum to the answer by JStevens.

The newer ODBC drivers for SQL Server limit VARCHAR(MAX) to 8000 characters. Trying to enter more text via a linked ODBC table results in this ODBC error:

[Microsoft][ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server]String data, right truncation (#0)

It works with the ancient {SQL Server} driver, or with data type TEXT.
And surprisingly, it also works with NVARCHAR(MAX) !

These findings are with Access 2010 or 2016, and SQL Server 2008 R2.

+--------------------+--------------+---------------------------------+
| Data type \ Driver | {SQL Server} | {ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server} |
+--------------------+--------------+---------------------------------+
| VARCHAR(MAX)       | ok           | ODBC Error                      |
| NVARCHAR(MAX)      | didn't try   | ok                              |
| TEXT               | ok           | ok                              |
+--------------------+--------------+---------------------------------+

So you have to pick your poison if you need to insert more data.

{SQL Server} wasn't an option for me, e.g. because it doesn't support the DATE data type.

So I stick with TEXT and hope that "ntext, text, and image data types will be removed in a future version of SQL Server." is just an empty threat.

Necro edit: NVARCHAR(MAX) doesn't seem to have the 8000 (or 4000) character limit with the new ODBC drivers.