Comparing text columns

We are currently using SQL 2005 and I need to create a pipe delimited
text file of over 80 columns daily.  The final dataset is saved as a
text column before sving it to a file as it is larger that varchar
(8000).  If even 1 value in the column changes do I need to include it
in the next day's file.
Is there a way to compare a text column that does not have alot of
overhead.  The data set can be large and it does not seem like
CHECKSUM is a option as text is not supported.
Any help is appreciated.

thanks
Mina

If VARCHAR(8000) isnt' enough and you're using SQL Server 2005,VARCHAR(MAX) is

If VARCHAR(8000) isnt' enough and you're using SQL Server 2005,
VARCHAR(MAX) is an option you might consider for the column datatype.

What about tracking the last update date/time for the columns and the
varchar(max) column with a trigger on the update/insert of the columns
and the varchar(max) column?  Another option would be to have the
VARCHAR(Max) column be a calculated column that is always a summary of
the columns in question.

Hope that helps!

Comparing text columns

ISSDBEngr (ISSDBEngr@gmail.com) writes:

Since you are on SQL 2005, why use text when you can use varchar(MAX)?
That is far less painful than text.

I don't know whether checksum() works on varchars longer than 8000 though.
But checksum() is not very good anyway, you would probably miss a lof
of actual changes. I would run a simple = to compare the values.


--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, esquel@sommarskog.se

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