Here are a few title options, focusing on the question format and the article\'s core theme: **Option 1 (Direct and concise):** * How do I Convert varbinary to varchar in MySQL? **Option 2 (Highli

Conversions between Varbinary and Char/Varchar in MySQL

Converting a varbinary field to a char or varchar type is crucial in situations where data is required for different purposes.

From Varbinary to Varchar

To convert from varbinary to varchar, MySQL offers the CAST or CONVERT functions:

<code class="sql">CAST(foo AS CHAR(100))
CONVERT(foo, CHAR(100))</code>

However, note that direct casting to varchar is not possible. There is a reported MySQL bug that prevents this conversion.

Supported Types for Conversion

The CAST and CONVERT functions support the following types for conversion:

Source Type	Destination Type
BINARY[(N)]	CHAR[(N)]
CHAR[(N)]	DATE
DATE	DATETIME
DECIMAL[(M[,D])]	SIGNED [INTEGER]
SIGNED [INTEGER]	TIME
UNSIGNED [INTEGER]	None (not supported)

Overcoming the Varchar Casting Issue

Since direct casting to varchar is not supported, a workaround is available:

<code class="sql">SELECT CONCAT(CAST(foo AS CHAR(100)), '') AS varchar_converted</code>

This workaround effectively appends an empty string to the converted char value, resulting in a varchar value.

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