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Python Flask with SQLAlchemy Basics Connecting to a Database with SQLAlchemy SQLAlchemy and Flask

Asher Orr
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Asher Orr
Python Development Techdegree Graduate 9,409 Points
Posted by Asher Orr
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Asher Orr
Python Development Techdegree Graduate 9,409 Points

What is the difference between string and text in Python?

Hi everyone! In the video, all but one database column are String datatypes.

The last one is a Text datatype:

class Pet(db.Model):
    id = db.Column(db.Integer, primary_key=True)
    created = db.Column('Created', db.DateTime, default=datetime.datetime.now)
    name = db.Column('Name', db.String())
    age = db.Column('Age', db.String())
    breed = db.Column('Breed', db.String())
    color = db.Column('Color', db.String())
    size = db.Column('Size', db.String())
    weight = db.Column('Weight', db.String())
    url = db.Column('URL', db.String())
    url_tag = db.Column('Alt Tag', db.String())
    pet_type = db.Column('Pet Type', db.String())
    gender = db.Column('Gender', db.String())
    spay = db.Column('Spay', db.String())
    house_trained = db.Column('House Trained', db.String())
    description = db.Column('Description', db.Text())

What exactly is the difference between a string and text? Also, what is the advantage of making "description" text?

1 Answer

Jonathan Grieve
MOD
Jonathan Grieve
Treehouse Moderator 91,253 Points
Jonathan Grieve
Jonathan Grieve
Treehouse Moderator 91,253 Points

They're basically the same, but text allows more characters for a field name. It's useful when data you use doesn't have a defined length for database purposes. You'll use db.String most of the time but for description fields like in this example, it's more prudent to use db.Text().