SQLite VARCHAR default size

Question

In SQLite, when I say:

CREATE TABLE my_table  (     my_column VARCHAR  ); 

without specifying the size of VARCHAR, what is the default size that is used?

I can't seem to find it at sqlite.org or figure out from my database file.

I know that SQLite doesn't enforce size when trying to stuff varchar(500) into varchar(30), but are there tradeoffs in initial size specification and what are best practices?

Answer 1

It doesn't matter.

SQLite does not use sizes when declaring the VARCHAR type. In fact, it almost doesn't use the type either.

You can store TEXT in an INT column in SQLite. And SQLite will never truncate a TEXT column.

Answer 2

From what I can gather, VARCHAR is the same as TEXT

http://www.sqlite.org/datatype3.html

Also see http://www.sqlite.org/different.html#flex