title: How to avoid SQL update returns Row size too large
body: <p>As I am trying to update a large table (on a online server as well as a MAMP installation) if get the message </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Fatal error: Uncaught mysqli_sql_exception: Row size too large (> 8126).</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>The table has 190 colums most of them small (<code>int</code> and <code>tinyint</code>) but also quite some <code>varchar(255)</code> due to installed translations and about 1000 rows. Splitting up to more tables is not an option as it belongs to a Joomla extension and as such updating would cause issues. </p>
  
  <p>I searched for solutions and more info, but remain with questions:</p>
  
  <p>If I change some columns to BLOB of TEXT (as suggested) <strong>are there differences in approaching these columns?</strong> What I mean to figure out if I can do this without interfering in the working of the extension.</p>
  
  <p>Understand that setting</p>
  
  <pre><code>innodb_file_per_table=ON
  innodb_default_row_format=dynamic
  innodb_file_format=Barracuda
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>might help, but where do you check and change these settings? Where to find<code>my.cnf</code>? </p>
  
  <p>In short, advice needed what is the best way to handle an issue like this?</p>