Question: what is the difference between char and varchar2 in oracle?
Answer: The difference between a CHAR and a VARCHAR is that a CHAR(n) will ALWAYS be N bytes long, it will be blank padded upon insert to ensure this. A varchar2(n) on the other hand will be 1 to N bytes long, it will NOT be blank padded. Using a CHAR on a varying width field can be a pain due to the search semantics of CHAR.