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 <div class="section">
  <div class="titlepage">
   <div>
    <div>
     <h3 class="title">
      <a name="myisam-table-formats">
      </a>
      18.2.3 MyISAM Table Storage Formats
     </h3>
    </div>
   </div>
  </div>
  <div class="toc">
   <dl class="toc">
    <dt>
     <span class="section">
      <a href="static-format.html">
       18.2.3.1 Static (Fixed-Length) Table Characteristics
      </a>
     </span>
    </dt>
    <dt>
     <span class="section">
      <a href="dynamic-format.html">
       18.2.3.2 Dynamic Table Characteristics
      </a>
     </span>
    </dt>
    <dt>
     <span class="section">
      <a href="compressed-format.html">
       18.2.3.3 Compressed Table Characteristics
      </a>
     </span>
    </dt>
   </dl>
  </div>
  <p>
   <code class="literal">
    MyISAM
   </code>
   supports three different storage
      formats. Two of them, fixed and dynamic format, are chosen
      automatically depending on the type of columns you are using. The
      third, compressed format, can be created only with the
   <a class="link" href="myisampack.html" title="6.6.6 myisampack — Generate Compressed, Read-Only MyISAM Tables">
    <span class="command">
     <strong>
      myisampack
     </strong>
    </span>
   </a>
   utility (see
   <a class="xref" href="myisampack.html" title="6.6.6 myisampack — Generate Compressed, Read-Only MyISAM Tables">
    Section 6.6.6, “myisampack — Generate Compressed, Read-Only MyISAM Tables”
   </a>
   ).
  </p>
  <p>
   When you use
   <a class="link" href="create-table.html" title="15.1.20 CREATE TABLE Statement">
    <code class="literal">
     CREATE TABLE
    </code>
   </a>
   or
   <a class="link" href="alter-table.html" title="15.1.9 ALTER TABLE Statement">
    <code class="literal">
     ALTER TABLE
    </code>
   </a>
   for a table that has no
   <a class="link" href="blob.html" title="13.3.4 The BLOB and TEXT Types">
    <code class="literal">
     BLOB
    </code>
   </a>
   or
   <a class="link" href="blob.html" title="13.3.4 The BLOB and TEXT Types">
    <code class="literal">
     TEXT
    </code>
   </a>
   columns, you can force the
      table format to
   <code class="literal">
    FIXED
   </code>
   or
   <code class="literal">
    DYNAMIC
   </code>
   with the
   <code class="literal">
    ROW_FORMAT
   </code>
   table option.
  </p>
  <p>
   See
   <a class="xref" href="create-table.html" title="15.1.20 CREATE TABLE Statement">
    Section 15.1.20, “CREATE TABLE Statement”
   </a>
   , for information about
   <code class="literal">
    ROW_FORMAT
   </code>
   .
  </p>
  <p>
   You can decompress (unpack) compressed
   <code class="literal">
    MyISAM
   </code>
   tables using
   <a class="link" href="myisamchk.html" title="6.6.4 myisamchk — MyISAM Table-Maintenance Utility">
    <span class="command">
     <strong>
      myisamchk
     </strong>
    </span>
   </a>
   <a class="link" href="myisamchk-repair-options.html#option_myisamchk_unpack">
    <code class="option">
     --unpack
    </code>
   </a>
   ; see
   <a class="xref" href="myisamchk.html" title="6.6.4 myisamchk — MyISAM Table-Maintenance Utility">
    Section 6.6.4, “myisamchk — MyISAM Table-Maintenance Utility”
   </a>
   , for more information.
  </p>
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