BUG: Inserting to a 255-byte String w/ Embedded quot

• Microsoft SQL Server versions 4.2x, 6.0, 6.5

SYMPTOMS

When inserting into a char or varchar column and the embedded quote sequence (for example, two double quotation marks [""], or two single quotation marks['']) causes the string literal to exceed 255 bytes in length, SQL Server returns the following error message:

Msg 260, Level 16, State 1
Disallowed implicit conversion from datatype 'text' to datatype 'char'
Table: 'pubs.dbo.tblQuotes', Column: 'strData'
Use the CONVERT function to run this query.

CAUSE

SQL Server is checking the length of the string before resolving the multiple quote sequences. If the server resolved the ("") or ('') sequences before checking the length, the implicit conversion would not fail.

WORKAROUND

Use the CONVERT function to explicitly convert the value.

Here is an example of how to correct the first insert that fails:

use pubs
go

drop table tblQuotes
go

create table tblQuotes
(
   strData     char(255)
)
go

insert into tblQuotes
values(""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""")
go
insert into tblQuotes
values(CONVERT(VARCHAR(255),"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
""""""""""""""""""""""""""))
go

select datalength(strData), strData from tblQuotes
go 

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft SQL Server version 4.21a, 6.00, and 6.50. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Keywords : kbbug6.50
Version : 4.21a 6.0 6.5
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :