fylix0000
asked on
Question about tinyint, smallint datatype.
Hi, I just created a table with
create table X (
var1 tinyint,
var2 smallint)
I then check the table properties with sp_help X and what I saw is the var1 column only has length of 1 and var2 has length of 2.
I know tinyint is 1 byte so it goes up to 255 and small int is 2 bytes so it goes up to 2^8 number I think. Will SQL server increase my field length automatically?
create table X (
var1 tinyint,
var2 smallint)
I then check the table properties with sp_help X and what I saw is the var1 column only has length of 1 and var2 has length of 2.
I know tinyint is 1 byte so it goes up to 255 and small int is 2 bytes so it goes up to 2^8 number I think. Will SQL server increase my field length automatically?
Lee W, MVP
Actually, small int goes 2^15-1, so that's up to 32767.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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SOLUTION
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ASKER
"the LENGTH you see is only the number of BYTES this column will use for storing the values, not the number of digits." so basically even though I see 1 in the field length, that does not mean i can only insert number 1-9, but rather any number within the limit.
BriCrowe, I was afraid I am retricted to the length I can insert in, in this case only number 1 to 9, I would have no problem if the small int limit at 2^15 - 1 (32,767). Though thanks for explain it in detail.
BriCrowe, I was afraid I am retricted to the length I can insert in, in this case only number 1 to 9, I would have no problem if the small int limit at 2^15 - 1 (32,767). Though thanks for explain it in detail.
Wow... so the link I provided was of no help to you, eplaining the data types?
ASKER
Sorry Leew :( , the question I put out only worth 100 points and I am more asking about the field lenght and not the data type information I saw in the database and angelIII's answer is what I was looking for. Your link is very good at explain the data type in detail but I gave BriCrow part points mainly becuase for the time he took type out in detail. I hope you do not think I did not appricate your helps.
ok... I thought you understood that 2 didn't mean two digits because you said:
> I know tinyint is 1 byte so it goes up to 255
That's why I said 32767 was the maximum...
At the same time I thought you might be confused about the value
> I know tinyint is 1 byte so it goes up to 255
That's why I said 32767 was the maximum...
At the same time I thought you might be confused about the value