What are the differences between VARCHAR and TEXT data types in databases?

VARCHAR and TEXT are data types for storing strings in databases, but they have differences:

• VARCHAR is a variable-length type where you specify the maximum length (e.g., VARCHAR(255)). It stores strings up to the specified length and is usually used for short texts such as names, emails, etc. In some DBMS, VARCHAR is stored within the table rows and can be faster to process.

• TEXT is designed for storing large amounts of text, such as descriptions, comments, articles. Usually, TEXT has no length limit or a very large one. In some DBMS, TEXT data is stored separately from the main table, which can affect performance when accessed frequently.