# How to specify the length of the varchar columns in bytes

**URL:** <https://forum.liquibase.org/t/how-to-specify-the-length-of-the-varchar-columns-in-bytes/286>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [October 5, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://forum.liquibase.org/t/how-to-specify-the-length-of-the-varchar-columns-in-bytes/286 "2009-10-05T20:39:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aravias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aravias](https://forum.liquibase.org/u/aravias)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://forum.liquibase.org/t/how-to-specify-the-length-of-the-varchar-columns-in-bytes/286/1 "2009-10-05T20:39:00Z")

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I am trying to specify&nbsp; the length of one of the varchar columns in bytes, like below, instead of as number of&nbsp; characters

&nbsp;

But liquibase throws an error at that line when it is executed, how to specify the length in bytes?

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**Author:** ![nvoxland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/87869e/32.png) [@nvoxland](https://forum.liquibase.org/u/nvoxland)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://forum.liquibase.org/t/how-to-specify-the-length-of-the-varchar-columns-in-bytes/286/2 "2009-10-05T20:39:00Z")

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The problem is that when we are parsing the java.sql.Types.VARCHAR string we are just expecting a single number, like .

If you are actually needing to specify the size as bytes, you will have to switch to without the “java.sql.Types”

Nathan