How should the Last Name text field be defined in a data extension?

Defining the Last Name text field in a data extension as "Text(100)" is appropriate because it allows for the storage of alphanumeric characters and ensures that the field can accommodate varying lengths of strings up to the specified maximum of 100 characters. This flexibility is essential for fields like last names, where the length can vary significantly from one individual to another.

The "Text" data type is particularly useful because it is designed for storing long text entries, making it reasonable for use cases where larger strings may need to be accommodated, although, in practical terms, most last names will not exceed a certain length. The choice of "Text(100)" strikes a balance between ensuring that the field can handle expected variability in last names while still imposing a sensible limit.

Other options like "String(100)" and "VarChar(100)" might seem appropriate as they also suggest the capability of storing variable-length data. However, "String" is not a standard data type recognized in Salesforce Marketing Cloud and can create ambiguity, while "VarChar" is not the correct terminology for defining field types in this context. "Char(100)," on the other hand, would define a fixed-length string and could result in inefficient storage by unnecessarily padding shorter last names,