oracle中varchar2和varchar,Oracle的VARCHAR和VARCHAR2数据类型有什么区别？

似乎Oracle曾一度计划为VARCHAR提供与VARCHAR2不同的定义.它告诉客户这个并建议不要使用VARCHAR.无论他们的计划是什么,从11.2.0.2开始,VARCHAR与VARCHAR2相同.这是

the SQL Language Reference 11g Release 2所说的：

Do not use the VARCHAR data type. Use

the VARCHAR2 data type instead.

Although the VARCHAR data type is

currently synonymous with VARCHAR2,

the VARCHAR data type is scheduled to

be redefined as a separate data type

used for variable-length character

strings compared with different

comparison semantics.

Currently, VARCHAR is synonymous with

VARCHAR2. However, in future releases

of PL/SQL, to accommodate emerging SQL

standards, VARCHAR might become a

separate datatype with different

comparison semantics. It is a good

idea to use VARCHAR2 rather than

VARCHAR.

The VARCHAR datatype is synonymous

with the VARCHAR2 datatype. To avoid

possible changes in behavior, always

use the VARCHAR2 datatype to store

variable-length character strings.

Oracle 9.2和8.1.7文档说的基本相同,所以即使Oracle不断阻止使用VARCHAR,到目前为止他们还没有采取任何措施来改变它与VARCHAR2的奇偶校验.