Text field 255 char length on import (more)

[Leslie]

I am tuning and enhancing a database that has imported .csv
data as its main data source (and it will still be
importing this data on a daily basis for the foreseeable
future). I noticed that the previous database developer
had set most of the text fields to 100 - 255 character
lengths. Then I realized that the text data is
automatically set at 255 chars in length when it is
entering an import table (regardless of the actual size of
the data in each field). I would like to reset the field
lengths in the storage tables to something smaller and more
consistent with the actual data sizes.

I am assuming that this might provide some performance
benefit and also to support consistent data entry (some
data is entered by hand).

(OOOPS. I accidentally sent the previous message before my
questions were typed) My questions:

1). Is there likely to be a performance benefit to
shortening the field lengths on the production tables?

and
2). If there is a benefit shortening the lengths: Is
there a way I can test the data (through a query or through
VB) in each field to find out what the maximum data lengths
for the fields are so that I can set the fields to sizes
that are large enough to accomodate the actual data without
creating data import errors (or conversion errors)?

Your help is appreciated.

Thanks.