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# Numeric Types
## About
**Numeric data types** are used to store numbers in a database. These numbers can be **integers** (whole numbers) or **decimals** (numbers with a fractional part). SQL provides a set of standard numeric types that most relational databases support, though exact names and behavior may vary slightly between vendors.
## 1. **INTEGER (or INT)**
* Stores whole numbers without a fractional component.
* Example: 1, -20, 999
* Storage size and range can vary depending on the system.
* Often used for IDs, counters, or quantities.
**Synonyms:** `INT`, `INTEGER`
## 2. **SMALLINT**
* Stores smaller-range integers than `INT`.
* Takes less storage.
* Suitable when the range of values is limited (e.g., 0–100).
## 3. **BIGINT**
* Stores very large integers.
* Useful for applications that require large numeric values (e.g., timestamps, large counters).
## 4. **DECIMAL(p, s)** or **NUMERIC(p, s)**
* Stores exact numbers with a fixed number of digits.
* `p` = total number of digits (precision).
* `s` = number of digits to the right of the decimal point (scale).
* Commonly used for monetary or financial data where precision is critical.
**Examples:**
* `DECIMAL(5,2)` can store values like 123.45, 99.99, etc.
* `NUMERIC(10,0)` is an integer with up to 10 digits.
**Note:** `DECIMAL` and `NUMERIC` are functionally equivalent in standard SQL.
## 5. **FLOAT(p)**
* Stores approximate numeric values with floating-point precision.
* `p` is precision, typically the number of bits used to represent the value.
* Useful for scientific calculations where precision is not exact.
## 6. **REAL**
* A floating-point number with lower precision than `FLOAT`.
* Approximate numeric data type.
* Not suitable when exact values are required.
## 7. **DOUBLE PRECISION**
* A floating-point number with higher precision than `REAL`.
* Also an approximate type.
* Used when more accuracy is needed in floating-point calculations.
## Vendor Support Overview
| Data Type | Standard SQL | Oracle | MySQL | PostgreSQL | SQL Server |
|---|
INTEGER / INT | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
SMALLINT | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
BIGINT | Yes | Yes (from 8i) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
DECIMAL(p,s) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
NUMERIC(p,s) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
FLOAT(p) | Yes | Yes (alias) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
REAL | Yes | No (not standard) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
DOUBLE PRECISION | Yes | No (use BINARY_DOUBLE) | Yes | Yes | Yes (FLOAT(53)) |
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