Figure 2-2 Data Types Recognized by Informix Products (1 of 3) Data Type Explanation BLOB BOOLEAN Stores binary data in random-access chunks Stores Boolean values true and false BYTE Stores any kind of binary data CHAR(n) Stores single-byte or multibyte sequences of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols; collation is code-set dependent CHARACTER(n) Is a synonym for CHAR CHARACTER VARYING(m,r) Stores single-byte and multibyte sequences of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols of varying length (ANSI compliant); collation is code-set dependent CLOB Stores text data in random-access chunks DATE Stores calendar date DATETIME Stores calendar date combined with time of day DEC Is a synonym for DECIMAL DECIMAL Stores numbers with definable scale and precision DISTINCT Is a user-defined data type that is stored in the same way as the source data type on which it is based, but has different casts and functions defined over it than those on the source type DOUBLE PRECISION Behaves the same way as FLOAT FLOAT(n) Stores double-precision floating-point numbers corresponding to the double data type in C INT Is a synonym for INTEGER INT8 Stores an 8-byte integer value. These whole numbers can be in the range - (263 - 1) to 263 - 1. INTEGER Stores whole numbers from - 2,147,483,647 to +2,147,483,647 INTERVAL Stores span of time LIST(e) Stores a collection (all elements of same element type, e) of values that have an implicit ordering (first, second, and so on); allows duplicate values MONEY(p,s) Stores currency amount MULTISET(e) Stores a collection (all elements of same element type, e) of values; allows duplicate values. NCHAR(n) Stores single-byte and multibyte sequences of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols; collation is locale dependent NUMERIC(p,s) Is a synonym for DECIMAL NVARCHAR(m,r) Stores single-byte and multibyte sequences of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols of varying length; collation is locale dependent OPAQUE Stores user-defined data type whose internal structure is inaccessible to the database server REAL Is a synonym for SMALLFLOAT ROW, Unnamed Stores an unnamed row type ROW, Named Stores a named row type SERIAL Stores sequential integers SERIAL8 Stores large sequential integers; has same range as INT8 SET(e) Stores a collection (all elements of same element type, e) of values; does not allow duplicate values SMALLFLOAT Stores single-precision floating-point numbers corresponding to the float data type in C SMALLINT Stores whole numbers from - 32,767 to +32,767 TEXT Stores any kind of text data VARCHAR(m,r) Stores multibyte strings of letters, numbers, and symbols of varying length to a maximum of 255 bytes; collation is code-set dependent
(1 of 3)
BLOB
BOOLEAN
Stores binary data in random-access chunks
Stores Boolean values true and false
true
false
BYTE
Stores any kind of binary data
CHAR(n)
Stores single-byte or multibyte sequences of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols; collation is code-set dependent
CHARACTER(n)
Is a synonym for CHAR
CHARACTER VARYING(m,r)
Stores single-byte and multibyte sequences of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols of varying length (ANSI compliant); collation is code-set dependent
CLOB
Stores text data in random-access chunks
DATE
Stores calendar date
DATETIME
Stores calendar date combined with time of day
DEC
Is a synonym for DECIMAL
DECIMAL
Stores numbers with definable scale and precision
DISTINCT
Is a user-defined data type that is stored in the same way as the source data type on which it is based, but has different casts and functions defined over it than those on the source type
DOUBLE PRECISION
Behaves the same way as FLOAT
FLOAT(n)
Stores double-precision floating-point numbers corresponding to the double data type in C
INT
Is a synonym for INTEGER
INT8
Stores an 8-byte integer value. These whole numbers can be in the range - (263 - 1) to 263 - 1.
INTEGER
Stores whole numbers from - 2,147,483,647 to +2,147,483,647
INTERVAL
Stores span of time
LIST(e)
Stores a collection (all elements of same element type, e) of values that have an implicit ordering (first, second, and so on); allows duplicate values
MONEY(p,s)
Stores currency amount
MULTISET(e)
Stores a collection (all elements of same element type, e) of values; allows duplicate values.
NCHAR(n)
Stores single-byte and multibyte sequences of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols; collation is locale dependent
NUMERIC(p,s)
NVARCHAR(m,r)
Stores single-byte and multibyte sequences of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols of varying length; collation is locale dependent
OPAQUE
Stores user-defined data type whose internal structure is inaccessible to the database server
REAL
Is a synonym for SMALLFLOAT
ROW, Unnamed
Stores an unnamed row type
ROW, Named
Stores a named row type
SERIAL
Stores sequential integers
SERIAL8
Stores large sequential integers; has same range as INT8
SET(e)
Stores a collection (all elements of same element type, e) of values; does not allow duplicate values
SMALLFLOAT
Stores single-precision floating-point numbers corresponding to the float data type in C
SMALLINT
Stores whole numbers from - 32,767 to +32,767
TEXT
Stores any kind of text data
VARCHAR(m,r)
Stores multibyte strings of letters, numbers, and symbols of varying length to a maximum of 255 bytes; collation is code-set dependent
