# 'Location' string length. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 1, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462 "2003-07-01T00:03:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/1 "2003-07-01T00:03:54Z")
Here’s the scoop./What’s going on? I was getting all set to change my location from: “UTM 5344985N Z14 328603E” to “In transit to a new location.” Weird thing is, that when I went to type it, I could only get “. . . loc”. It cut me off. Is there a maximum string length to that field, or am I doing something wrong? The only thing I can figure is that I’ve got a lot of numbers in my existing location, but they take up less ‘string space’. Weird. Any ideas? Tripler Leaving for Montana. Will update with UTM as soon as practical. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/2 "2003-07-01T00:11:04Z")
Yep. It’s limited to 25 characters. I did a View Source on that page and got: \\\Location:\\\ … \\\ ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/3 "2003-07-01T00:16:29Z")
Gotcha. Thanks, **Q.E.D.** , much obliged (although much to my chagrin 😃 ). Tripler It’ll change tonight. I promise. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/4 "2003-07-01T00:20:30Z")
It used to be longer, but the admins shortened it, however, the restriction is in the entry field, not the database (I think), so you will occasionally see a doper with a location longer than 25 characters, meaning it was entered before the 25 character restriction and hasn’t been edited since. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/5 "2003-07-01T00:25:43Z")
Also, it’s _possible_ the administrators can change it to one that’s longer than the entry field allows. I know tForum admins can. Or the guy that does the database maintenace can use PHPMyAdmin can plug it directly into the tables. Of course, you’d have to ask REAL nice like… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/6 "2003-07-01T00:31:22Z")
I can’t imagine they would do that for many reasons here though; perhaps they might cave if you really do live in llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (although perhaps not), but if you just want to change it to something long and inane, there’s no amount of chocolate that will buy it (I reckon). ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/7 "2003-07-01T00:39:29Z")
I dunno. I hear **TubaDiva** _really_ likes chocolate. 😃 Then, of course, you’d have to feed your first born to **manhattan**. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/8 "2003-07-01T00:47:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Then, of course, you’d have to feed your first born to **manhattan**. \*\* Unfortunately, I don’t have any yet to offer. However, I can offer my services in lending to a coup in a small, third world nation in South America we _might_ decide to name **manhattanito**. Seems my “UTM” location just falls short of the string cutoff by one character. And to think, I thought it was a free for all this whole time. 😃 Tripler It’s changed now. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/9 "2003-07-01T01:15:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*I dunno. I hear **TubaDiva** _really_ likes chocolate. 😃 > > Then, of course, you’d have to feed your first born to **manhattan**. \*\* What if your first born is _made_ out of chocolate, huh? Who gets it _then_, hmm? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Adam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Mr\_Adam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Adam)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/10 "2003-07-01T17:59:37Z")
I just wanted to say, **Troy McClure SF** , the first part of your signature cracks me up each time I see it 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/11 "2003-07-01T18:34:38Z")
Incidentally, **Tripler** , whither in Montana are you going? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/12 "2003-07-01T23:44:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Troy McClure SF \* > \*\*What if your first born is _made_ out of chocolate, huh? Who gets it _then_, hmm? \*\* Won’t somebody pleeeease think of the edible sugar confectionery children? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/13 "2003-07-03T22:22:44Z")
[The Straight Dope](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=184563) on the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-string-length/185462/14 "2003-07-05T15:48:46Z")
[sub]Holy cow! A free public computer for 10 minutes!![/sub] > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*Incidentally, **Tripler** , whither in Montana are you going? \*\* **Chronos** , I’m a-headin’ to Great Falls. I’ll be up at Malmstrom AFB for a few years. Wanna come on up for some steaks and beers? Hopefully, I’ll have a place to live by the end of this week. ☹ Tripler Stay tuned! Same Dope time, same Dope channel.