Impact 2023 (Dynamic Constraints Edition) release is available for download, bringing with it a host of new features. Available here.

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Database String Type Conversion

This form is opened when you switch on the Revise string storage types in database option on the Database Administration - Automatic Updates form

Database String Type Conversion

WARNING: It is important to note that conversion from Wide to ANSI string storage may result in data corruption, if your database contains characters which are unsuitable for storage in single bytes. Impact will not warn you if this has happened. If you are in any doubt, it is recommended that you use Wide strings. 

Conversion type

From the pull-down list choose:

Convert to ANSI - Each character within a string is stored in a single byte. One byte is sufficient for some languages, notably most European languages. Prior to Impact version 5.0, all strings were stored as ANSI strings. 

Convert to Wide - Each character within a string may be stored in multiple bytes, necessary for many languages which contain large numbers of characters, such as Chinese or Japanese. The strings are stored as Unicode characters. Because additional bytes are used for each character, the database is likely to be bigger.

TIP: For example, on a SQL Server database, if you choose ANSI then data types such as char and varchar will be used, whereas if you choose Wide then data types such as nvarchar will be used. 

Once you have made your choice, Impact shows you how many (if any) database columns will be affected. Once you have carefully read the instructions shown on the form, press OK to begin the process. Note that the conversion may take a long time on a large database.

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