From: Dan Nelson
Date: June 19 2011 12:22am
Subject: Re: Optimizing column widths
List-Archive: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql/225296
Message-Id: <20110619002212.GA62228@dan.emsphone.com>
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In the last episode (Jun 18), Tim Johnson said:
> Is there an optimal 'alignment' for column widths for
> varchar types?
> 
> I.E., divisible by 8 or 10 or by powers of 2?

No.  Varchar fields are stored using only as many bytes as are in that
particular entry.  The size in the column definition is simply the maximum
allowed size.

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/char.html

-- 
	Dan Nelson
	dnelson@stripped