NVarchar And NChar

Hi ,
What is the different I use NChar and Char as my database field datatype
? In what circumstance I should use NChar or NVarchar ? Kindly advised.
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Travis TanThe datatypes nvarchar, nchar, ntext are UNICODE data types.
From SQL Server 2005 BOL
(ms-help://MS.SQLCC.v9/MS.SQLSVR.v9.en/udb9/html/6befd9de-9218-4a2c-826e-54f957ab6b4a.htm):
Storing data in multiple languages within one database is difficult to
manage when you use only character data and code pages. It is also difficult
to find one code page for the database that can store all the required
language-specific characters. Additionally, it is difficult to guarantee the
correct translation of special characters when being read or updated by
different clients running various code pages. Databases that support
international clients should always use Unicode data types instead of
non-Unicode data types.
For example, consider a database of customers in North America that must
handle three major languages:
Spanish names and addresses for Mexico
French names and addresses for Quebec
English names and addresses for the rest of Canada and the United States
When you use only character columns and code pages, you must take care to
make sure the database is installed with a code page that will handle the
characters of all three languages. You must also take care to guarantee the
correct translation of characters from one of the languages when read by
clients running a code page for another language.
With the growth of the Internet, it is even more important to support many
client computers that are running different locales. Selecting a code page
for character data types that will support all the characters required by a
worldwide audience would be difficult.
The easiest way to manage character data in international databases is to
always use the Unicode nchar, nvarchar, and ntext data types, instead of
their non-Unicode equivalents, char, varchar, and text......
--
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Mike Epprecht, Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Zurich, Switzerland
IM: mike@.epprecht.net
MVP Program: http://www.microsoft.com/mvp
Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/epprecht/
"Travis" <Travis@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B5DBA6D6-7559-40CF-A13F-D2E7ADE98789@.microsoft.com...
> Hi ,
> What is the different I use NChar and Char as my database field datatype
> ? In what circumstance I should use NChar or NVarchar ? Kindly advised.
> --
> Travis Tan