Decreased column size in a table but table size grew

[bmacbmac]

Hi!

I have a table temp with path varchar(1000). I reduced the path size with:

alter table temp
alter column temp varchar(500)

After I did this the table size actually grew. I reduced again to varchar(4000 and the table size grew again.

Is there another action I should take after adjusting the column size? I was hoping to reduce the size of the table, but it is increasing.

Thanks!

 

[fredericofonseca]

looks like a heap table. Normal to behave like that.

do "alter table temp rebuild" and see how it goes - and with very few exceptions Heaps in SQL Server are not the best for a table - adding a cluster index is normally advisable and will most likely also solve the issue you see here.

Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com

FAQ219-2884
FAQ181-2886

 

[Olaf Doschke]

How do you measure table size? There are many possibilities and you need to know how to interpret them.

The ldf size will most certainly rise, as you cause a large transactions with this table change. This can only shrink after log backups and shrinking the ldf, which also needs your luck of the active internal portion of the ldf not to wrpa around from end of file to begin of file.

An even if ata can be stored in less pages within the mdf, that also doesn't automatically shrink it. But you certainly free pages for use of other data storage.

Bye, Olaf.