varchar(int) columns are reported as text in show create table

Edit:

varchar(int) columns are reported as text in show create table, See https://github.com/crate/crate/issues/10230#issuecomment-659423800

Below is the original issue report:

---

CrateDB version: 4.1.8

Environment description: CrateDB on Mac

JAVA: 
java version "14.0.1" 2020-04-14
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 14.0.1+7)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 14.0.1+7, mixed mode, sharing)

KERNEL: 
19.5.0 Darwin Kernel Version 19.5.0: Tue May 26 20:41:44 PDT 2020; root:xnu-6153.121.2~2/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64

The number of nodes: 
1

Configuration by default. 

Problem description:

When I use CREATE TABLE users (id varchar, name varchar(6)); from the documentation: Varchar, I get this error:

SQLActionException[SQLParseException: line 1:45: extraneous input '(' expecting {',', ')'}]

It happens every time I use VARCHAR(INT).

Then, if I change VARCHAR(INT) for TEXT, I get this error:

SQLActionException[SQLParseException: Cannot find data type: varchar]

And when I change VARCHAR for TEXT, I mean, CREATE TABLE users (id TEXT, name TEXT); then it works.

Steps to reproduce:

See Problem Description

[mfussenegger]

I see you’re right.

The variable is stored as a TEXT, though. Is that the right behavior? CREATE TABLE users (id varchar, name varchar(6)); Table:

Name Type
id TEXT
name TEXT

That’s not good, at least the SHOW CREATE TABLE statement should show the varchar type. It shouldn’t loose information:

create table tbl (name varchar(10));

cr> show create table tbl;
SHOW CREATE TABLE doc.tbl | CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "doc"."tbl" (
   "name" TEXT
)
CLUSTERED INTO 4 SHARDS

[MarkusH]

From my understanding, the underlying data types are all the same, and VARCHAR and VARCHAR(int) are only compatibility shims on top. But I’m not sure about that.