<jeffdavey(at)submersion(dot)com> writes:
> Just I usually prefer using fixed field lengths as queries tend to be
> significantly faster. Also, you can use them in indexes.
You are making assumptions based on other databases that are not
relevant to Postgres.
> And it leads me to wonder how you would represent an ending "space" in a
> field,
In varchar or text fields, trailing spaces are real data. In
fixed-width char fields, trailing spaces are pads. AFAIK this is
consistent with the SQL92 specification.
regards, tom lane