The transformation data types include the following string data types:

Although the String and Text data types support the same precision up to 104,857,600 characters, the Integration Service uses String to move string data from source to target and Text to move text data from source to target. Because some databases store text data differently than string data, the Integration Service needs to distinguish between the two types of character data. In general, the smaller string data types, such as Char and Varchar, display as String in transformations, while the larger text data types, such as Text, Long, and Long Varchar, display as Text.

Use String and Text interchangeably within transformations. However, in Lookup transformations, the target data types must match. The database drivers need to match the string data types with the transformation data types, so that the data passes accurately. For example, Varchar in a lookup table must match String in the Lookup transformation.