Convert text to varchar

When I change a column from text to varchar using the
design view of a table within Enterprise Manager the
varchar value (less than 8000 characters) appears in the
column but does SQL Server automatically delete the text
values from their pages?
If not are they removed by routine reindex/defrag or
should I create a new table, import from the text as
varchar and drop the old table to make sure the pages
storing the original text version of the values are
deleted?
I believe Enterprise Manager will recreate the table to implement this
change so the original text pages are deleted. You can verify this by
clicking on the 'Save change script' button after making the change in the
design table GUI.
Hope this helps.
Dan Guzman
SQL Server MVP
"Steve Morris" <anonymous@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1a4ba01c41d81$d9afa490$a101280a@.phx.gbl...
> When I change a column from text to varchar using the
> design view of a table within Enterprise Manager the
> varchar value (less than 8000 characters) appears in the
> column but does SQL Server automatically delete the text
> values from their pages?
> If not are they removed by routine reindex/defrag or
> should I create a new table, import from the text as
> varchar and drop the old table to make sure the pages
> storing the original text version of the values are
> deleted?
|||Dan,
Thanks much.
I have never noticed that the "change script" icon appears
when I click save.