What is the best column type for URL?

Question

What is the best column type for a URL field for SQL Server?

Type: VARCHAR or NVARCHAR?

Length?

Similar question for MySQL.

Answer 1

For SQL Server, you'll be wanting to use NVARCHAR I'd have thought, as there are plans (if not action already) afoot for non-Roman characters in URLs. I can't really see any problems these days in the extra storage requirements for NVARCHAR over VARCHAR.