SQL Data Types: Numeric Data Types

Syntax

The syntax for defining a numeric data type in SQL is as follows:

column_name data_type(size)

In the above syntax, the column_name is the name of the column and data_type refers to the type of numeric data that will be stored in that column. The size parameter optional and specifies the maximum number of digits that the column can store.

Example

Let's take an example and define a column with numeric data type in SQL:

CREATE TABLE students (
    id INT, 
    name VARCHAR(255), 
    age TINYINT, 
    gpa DECIMAL(3, 2)
);

In this example, we have defined a table with four columns. The id column is of INT data type, which can store integer values up to 2147483647. The name column is of VARCHAR data type, which can store character strings up to 255 characters long. The age column is of TINYINT data type, which can store integer values up to 127. The gpa column is of DECIMAL data type, which can store decimal values up to 3 digits long, with 2 of those digits reserved for the fractional part.

Output

When we execute the above SQL command, we get the following output:

Query OK, 0 rows affected

This means that the students table has been created successfully without any errors.

Explanation

Numeric data types in SQL are used to store numeric values, such as integers, decimals, and floating point numbers. SQL provides several data types for storing numeric values, each with its own range and precision.

In our example above, we used four different numeric data types:

• INT: This is a 32-bit signed integer that can store values from -2147483648 to 2147483647.
• VARCHAR: This data type is not a numeric data type. However, it is used to store character strings, which can be interpreted as numeric data depending on the context.
• TINYINT: This is an 8-bit signed integer that can store values from -128 to 127.
• DECIMAL: This data type is used to store fixed-point decimal values with a specified precision.

Use

Numeric data types are used to store values that are intended to be used in mathematical operations or numeric comparisons. They are commonly used in financial applications, scientific calculations, and other data-driven applications that require precise calculations.

Important Points

Here are some important points to keep in mind when working with numeric data types in SQL:

• Numeric data types can be signed (positive, negative, or zero) or unsigned (positive or zero).
• The size of a numeric data type determines the maximum number of digits that can be stored in that column.
• The precision of a numeric data type determines the number of digits that can be stored after the decimal point.
• Different database systems may use slightly different syntax or data types for numeric values.

Summary

In this article, we discussed the syntax, example, output, explanation, use, important points, and summary of numeric data types in SQL. Numeric data types are essential for storing numeric values in relational databases and are commonly used in financial, scientific, and other data-driven applications that require precise calculations. By understanding the different types of numeric data available in SQL, you can build more robust and precise database applications.