Variable-length field

A variable-length field is a data structure used in computer programming and data storage where a field's length can vary from one instance to another. As the name suggests, variable-length fields can be adjusted to accommodate different amounts of data. They are utilized where stored information doesn't have a fixed or predictable length. For example, variable-length fields are used with text fields, database records, and strings in programming.

Variable-length fields improve disk space efficiency by using as much space as needed rather than allocating a fixed amount, which could result in wasted storage. However, for large data sets, they can slow down the disk-read and processing time because they're more complex than fixed-length fields. Variable-length fields must indicate each field's length and where one ends and the next begins. To help manage these fields, delimiters or length indicators are used.

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