The VARBINARY data type holds variable-length binary data.
Use this type when the data is expected to vary in size.
The maximum size for VARBINARY is 8,000 bytes.
As an aside, the word VARBINARY stands for varying binary.
A table with a VARBINARY column.
CREATE TABLE DemoTable
(
Id INT IDENTITY,
FullName VARCHAR(100),
IsRegistered VARBINARY
);
GO
INSERT INTO DemoTable VALUES ('Harold Smith', 0);
INSERT INTO DemoTable VALUES ('Robert Johnson', 0);
INSERT INTO DemoTable VALUES ('Janice Lopez', 1);
INSERT INTO DemoTable VALUES ('Kelly Wilson', 1);
INSERT INTO DemoTable VALUES ('Grace Taylor', NULL);
GO
SELECT * FROM DemoTable;
GO
DROP TABLE DemoTable;
GO
Note: The default size of VARBINARY is 1 byte.
| Id | FullName | IsRegistered |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harold Smith | 0x00 |
| 2 | Robert Johnson | 0x00 |
| 3 | Janice Lopez | 0x01 |
| 4 | Kelly Wilson | 0x01 |
| 5 | Grace Taylor | NULL |
In this example, a 0 value of IsRegistered is considered False, and 1 is True.
Syntax of VARBINARY.
VARBINARY(number)
number -- optional, number of bytes (1 - 8,000). Default is 1.
| ORDER |
|---|
| Id |
| OrderDate |
| OrderNumber |
| CustomerId |
| TotalAmount |
SELECT ProductName,
CAST(IsDiscontinued AS VARBINARY(1)) AS 'IsDiscontinued'
FROM Product
This demonstrates a cast to a fixed sized VARBINARY(1) type.
| ProductName | IsDiscontinued |
|---|---|
| Chai | 0x00 |
| Chang | 0x00 |
| Aniseed Syrup | 0x00 |
| Chef Anton's Cajun Seasoning | 0x00 |
| Chef Anton's Gumbo Mix | 0x01 |
 |
|
