diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/Table.php b/lib/Doctrine/Table.php
index 88daba505..0aa463bb8 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/Table.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/Table.php
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ class Doctrine_Table extends Doctrine_Configurable implements Countable {
      * @param mixed $options
      * @return void
      */
-    final public function setColumn($name, $type, $length, $options = array()) {
+    final public function setColumn($name, $type, $length = null, $options = array()) {
         if(is_string($options)) 
             $options = explode('|', $options);
 
@@ -348,7 +348,11 @@ class Doctrine_Table extends Doctrine_Configurable implements Countable {
             }
         }
         $name = strtolower($name);
-        $this->columns[$name] = array($type,$length,$options);
+        
+        if($length == null) 
+            $length = 2147483647;
+
+        $this->columns[$name] = array($type, $length, $options);
 
         if(isset($options['primary'])) {
             $this->primaryKeys[] = $name;
@@ -1009,10 +1013,10 @@ class Doctrine_Table extends Doctrine_Configurable implements Countable {
      */
     public function invokeSet(Doctrine_Record $record, $name, $value) {
         if( ! ($this->getAttribute(Doctrine::ATTR_ACCESSORS) & Doctrine::ACCESSOR_SET))
-            return $value;
-        
-        $prefix = $this->getAttribute(Doctrine::ATTR_ACCESSOR_PREFIX_SET);
-        if (!$prefix)
+            return $value;
+        
+        $prefix = $this->getAttribute(Doctrine::ATTR_ACCESSOR_PREFIX_SET);
+        if (!$prefix)
             $prefix = 'set';
 
         $method = $prefix . $name;
@@ -1032,10 +1036,10 @@ class Doctrine_Table extends Doctrine_Configurable implements Countable {
         if( ! ($this->getAttribute(Doctrine::ATTR_ACCESSORS) & Doctrine::ACCESSOR_GET))
             return $value;
 
-        $prefix = $this->getAttribute(Doctrine::ATTR_ACCESSOR_PREFIX_GET);
-        if (!$prefix)
+        $prefix = $this->getAttribute(Doctrine::ATTR_ACCESSOR_PREFIX_GET);
+        if (!$prefix)
             $prefix = 'get';
-
+
         $method = $prefix . $name;
 
         if(method_exists($record, $method)) {