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Changes to 'allowable length' config settings don't increase field sizes
Question
I have changed the 'allowable length' config setting for a particular field in the CactuShop back end. But that field still won't accept more characters. What is the problem?
Answer
The 'allowable length' config settings do not increase the database field sizes of the fields they refer to. Their purpose is to record how long each field is to provide error checking for data being submitted.
To allow more text to be stored in a particular field you must increase the size of that field in the database itself (using the design view of the table in whatever database your site is using). Once that is done, you then need to change the 'allowable length' config setting for that field to match so that the scripts will permit you to add the increased number of characters.
If you increase the allowable length config setting to (say) 255 characters, but the field itself is only 100 characters, any attempt to submit more than 100 characters will fail. An untrapped ASP error will usually result, stating that the field would have been truncated.