How to Convert Varbinary to Char/Varchar in MySQL?

Converting Varbinary to Char/Varchar in MySQL

When dealing with data stored as varbinary in a MySQL database, it may become necessary to convert it to char or varchar for further processing. Here's how to achieve this conversion:

MySQL provides two functions to convert varbinary data to character data: CAST and CONVERT. Both functions require the data to be cast to an intermediate type, typically BINARY or CHAR, before converting it to the desired char or varchar type.

The syntax for using CAST or CONVERT is:

<code class="sql">CAST(varbinary_column AS <intermediate_type>)
CONVERT(varbinary_column, <intermediate_type>)</code>

For example, to convert a varbinary field named my_field to a char type with a maximum length of 100 characters, you would use:

<code class="sql">CAST(my_field AS CHAR(100))</code>

Supported intermediate types for casting are:

• BINARY[(N)]
• CHAR[(N)]
• DATE
• DATETIME
• DECIMAL[(M[,D])]
• SIGNED [INTEGER]
• TIME
• UNSIGNED [INTEGER]

It's important to note that you cannot cast directly to varchar using these functions. Due to an unresolved MySQL bug, this operation is not supported. Therefore, you need to cast to an intermediate type first, such as CHAR, and then to varchar if necessary.

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