Byte/character,NVARCHAR2,UTF8

Question

Database character set
=National charater set=UTF8
NLS_LANG=American_America.UTF8
OS=Win2k Pro ORACLE=8.1.6
I get a table:
desc test
Name type
a NVARCHAR2(2)
we wanna the 'a' column hold only two letters
regardless english,Traditional/Simplified chinese,it means we wanna:
INSERT INTO test | INSERT INTO test
VALUES | VALUES
(N'ha'); | (N'LF3/');
but I failed to insert two chinese letter into it,actually,only one can be hold,or error--"insert value too long.."--pop up.
can I do it?
the NVARCHAR2(2) means oracle would allocate
2 byte or 2 character for the 'a' column?
Thank u all.
Tale

Answer 1

But nls_lang2:
I did success in inserting one chinese letter into a column defined as NVARCHAR2(2).
it is impossible if one chinese letter occupy 3 bytes while NVARCHAR2(2)get
2 bytes allocated in UTF8 DB as u stated.
The db cannot allocate 2 charater becos I
cannot insert 2 chinese letters into it.
--example:
Database character set
=National charater set=UTF8
client NLS_LANG=American_America.UTF8
OS=Win2k Pro ORACLE=8.1.6
I altered the table:
desc test
Name type
a NVARCHAR2(2)
b varchar2(3)
c varchar2(4)
INSERT INTO test(a)
VALUES
(N'LF'); ---> it's successful.
when it come to varchar2,I altered the table as the upper:
after experiment,I can insert two chinese letters into the c column;
I can insert 4 english letters into c column;
I cannot insert 2 chinese letters into b column;
I can insert 3 english letters into b column;
so it seemed that chinese letter occupy 2 byte in the workaround,not 3,as u said.Infact,according to our applicaiton system,if we define column "d" as xyz(2) datatype
then it should only hold only two letters--regardless of english/chinese,which means
"me" and "SQRj" should be huged even.
what's going on?
Thank you
ciao
Tale
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