So you need to store character data in your database? Easy enough, you just create an nvarcharMAX field and you're done, right? It turns out, it's not so simple. First up you need to decide on a data type - should you use text? Char100? Varchar100? Or perhaps one of the MAX types? In this session I will go through all the options we have, including a deep dive detailing how each data type differs in how it's actually stored on disk. Knowing about how it's stored on disk, we can start making intelligent decisions on which data type to use, as well as predicting the actual cost involved. You won't just be able to predict the storage implications of the chosen data type, but also the performance implications. So many databases need to store character data, and that's why knowing how to do so optimally is an absolutely critical part of your job as a DBA.