Incorporate review remarks from @grandinj

h2/src/main/org/h2/engine/Mode.java

@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ public class Mode {
     /**
      * Whether to right-pad fixed strings with spaces.
      */
-    public boolean padFixedStrings;
+    public boolean padFixedLengthStrings;
 
     private final String name;
 
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ public class Mode {
         mode.supportedClientInfoPropertiesRegEx =
                 Pattern.compile("ApplicationName");
         mode.prohibitEmptyInPredicate = true;
-        mode.padFixedStrings = true;
+        mode.padFixedLengthStrings = true;
         add(mode);
 
         mode = new Mode("Ignite");

h2/src/main/org/h2/value/Value.java

@@ -535,7 +535,15 @@ public abstract class Value {
         throw throwUnsupportedExceptionForType("%");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Compare a value to the specified type.
+     *
+     * @param targetType the type of the returned value
+     * @return the converted value
+     */
     public Value convertTo(int targetType) {
+        // Use -1 to indicate "default behaviour" where value conversion should not 
+        // depend on any datatype precision.
         return convertTo(targetType, -1, null);
     }
 
@@ -543,6 +551,9 @@ public abstract class Value {
      * Compare a value to the specified type.
      *
      * @param targetType the type of the returned value
+     * @param the precision of the column to convert this value to.
+     *        The special constant <code>-1</code> is used to indicate that
+     *        the precision plays no role when converting the value
      * @return the converted value
      */
     public Value convertTo(int targetType, int precision, Mode mode) {

h2/src/main/org/h2/value/ValueStringFixed.java

@@ -50,9 +50,7 @@ public class ValueStringFixed extends ValueString {
             return s;
         }
         char[] res = new char[length];
-        for (int i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
-            res[i] = s.charAt(i);
-        }
+        s.getChars(0, s.length(), res, 0);
         Arrays.fill(res, s.length(), length, ' ');
         return new String(res);
     }
@@ -70,10 +68,26 @@ public class ValueStringFixed extends ValueString {
      * @return the value
      */
     public static ValueStringFixed get(String s) {
+        // Use the special precision constant PRECISION_TRIM to indicate
+        // default H2 behaviour of trimming the value.
         return get(s, PRECISION_TRIM, null);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Get or create a fixed length string value for the given string.
+     * <p>
+     * This method will use a {@link Mode}-specific conversion when <code>mode</code> is not <code>null</code>.
+     * Otherwise it will use the default H2 behaviour of trimming the given string if <code>precision</code>
+     * is not {@link #PRECISION_DO_NOT_TRIM}.
+     *
+     * @param s the string
+     * @param precision if the {@link Mode#padFixedLengthStrings} indicates that strings should be padded, this
+     *        defines the overall length of the (potentially padded) string.
+     *        If the special constant {@link #PRECISION_DO_NOT_TRIM} is used the value will not be trimmed.
+     * @return the value
+     */
     public static ValueStringFixed get(String s, int precision, Mode mode) {
-        if (mode != null && mode.padFixedStrings && precision < Integer.MAX_VALUE) {
+        if (mode != null && mode.padFixedLengthStrings && precision < Integer.MAX_VALUE) {
             s = rightPadWithSpaces(s, precision);
         } else if (precision != PRECISION_DO_NOT_TRIM) {
             s = trimRight(s);