Final Answer:
The maximum limit of VARCHAR in SQL Server is 8,000 characters for versions prior to SQL Server 2016 and 2,147,483,647 characters for SQL Server 2016 and later versions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In SQL Server, the VARCHAR data type is used to store variable-length character data. The maximum limit of VARCHAR depends on the version of SQL Server being used.
For versions prior to SQL Server 2016, the maximum limit of VARCHAR is 8,000 characters. This means that a VARCHAR column can store up to 8,000 characters of data.
However, starting from SQL Server 2016 and later versions, the maximum limit of VARCHAR has been increased to 2,147,483,647 characters. This allows for significantly larger amounts of character data to be stored in a VARCHAR column.
It's important to note that the actual amount of data that can be stored in a VARCHAR column is dependent on factors such as the available disk space and the maximum row size allowed by the database.
In summary, the maximum limit of VARCHAR in SQL Server is 8,000 characters for versions prior to SQL Server 2016 and 2,147,483,647 characters for SQL Server 2016 and later versions. This allows for storing a wide range of character data in VARCHAR columns, depending on the specific version of SQL Server being used.