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Yes, works perfectly. &nbsp;Thanks very much belfegor.
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Yes, works perfectly.  Thanks very much belfegor.

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Hello Experts - <br />
I have a SQL Server 2008 R2 table with a column of type SMALLINT on which I would like to calculate (and drop into a different table) a variety of averages (presumably using the AVG function). &nbsp;The calculated averages won't always be integers so I'm expecting to use a NUMERIC(6, 2) data type for the results in the second table. &nbsp;If I am reading the data typing detail for the AVG function correctly, it sounds like I can't use the SMALLINT data type on the source field if I want the calculated value to be NUMERIC. &nbsp;This strikes me as absurd - it's easy to envision many scenarios where you'd start with SMALLINTs and then calculate results that are NUMERIC. &nbsp;Such a rule would force a re-typing requirement that simply seems unnecessary. &nbsp;Two questions:<br />
<br />
1. &nbsp;Is my understanding of the data typing for the source field called by the AVG function correct?<br />
2. &nbsp;If so, are there any straightforward workarounds that will not require me to re-type my source field from INT to NUMERIC, even though that field only holds INT values?<br />
<br />
Thanks all.<br />
<br />
-- Rick
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Hello Experts - 
I have a SQL Server 2008 R2 table with a column of type SMALLINT on which I would like to calculate (and drop into a different table) a variety of averages (presumably using the AVG function).  The calculated averages won't always be integers so I'm expecting to use a NUMERIC(6, 2) data type for the results in the second table.  If I am reading the data typing detail for the AVG function correctly, it sounds like I can't use the SMALLINT data type on the source field if I want the calculated value to be NUMERIC.  This strikes me as absurd - it's easy to envision many scenarios where you'd start with SMALLINTs and then calculate results that are NUMERIC.  Such a rule would force a re-typing requirement that simply seems unnecessary.  Two questions:

1.  Is my understanding of the data typing for the source field called by the AVG function correct?
2.  If so, are there any straightforward workarounds that will not require me to re-type my source field from INT to NUMERIC, even though that field only holds INT values?

Thanks all.

-- Rick

SQL Server AVG Function Data Type Restriction

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is a suite of relational database management system (RDBMS) products providing multi-user database access functionality.Component services include integration (SSIS), reporting (SSRS), analysis (SSAS), data quality, master data, T-SQL and performance tuning. Major improvements include the  Always On technologies and support for unstructured data types.