DF188: Length is not specified when declaring variable or parameter with varying-length data type.
Last modified: May 28, 2025
The topic describes the DF188 T-SQL code analysis rule.
Category
BEST PRACTICE
Message
Length is not specified when declaring variable or parameter with varying-length data type.
Description
To prevent data truncation errors, it is advisable to explicitly specify the data length for variables or parameters with varying-length data types.
Noncompliant code example
DECLARE @c VARCHAR
SELECT @c AS c
GO
Compliant solution
DECLARE @c VARCHAR(128)
SELECT @c AS c
GO
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