VARCHAR and VARCHAR2

If you create a table with a VARCHAR column in Oracle 11.2, Oracle sets it up as a VARCHAR2:

SQL> l

  1  create table t1

  2  (c1 varchar(1),

  3*  c2 varchar2(1))

SQL> /

 

Table created.

 

SQL> desc t1

Name                       Null?    Type

-------------------------- -------- ------------------

C1                                  VARCHAR2(1)

C2                                  VARCHAR2(1)

 

SQL>

According to a book I am working through, this has been the case since Oracle 8. However, Oracle say you should not rely on this as, in a future release, the specifications for VARCHAR and VARCHAR2 may diverge.