SQL Numeric Data Types

Define Numeric Columns for a Banking Table

Create a SQL table definition for a bank account with columns for AccountID (integer), Balance (decimal with 2 decimal places), and InterestRate (float).

Expected output: A CREATE TABLE statement with appropriate numeric data types.

Hint: Use INT for AccountID, DECIMAL(15,2) for Balance, and FLOAT for InterestRate.

Compare Storage Sizes

List the storage sizes and ranges of TINYINT, SMALLINT, INT, and BIGINT.

Expected output: A table or list showing each type's size and range.

Hint: Refer to common SQL integer sizes and ranges.

DECIMAL stores exact fixed-point numbers with defined precision and scale, suitable for financial data. FLOAT stores approximate floating-point numbers, which can represent very large or small values but may introduce rounding errors.

Use BIGINT when you expect integer values to exceed the range of INT, such as very large counts or IDs beyond 2 billion.

Specifying precision and scale ensures the database allocates appropriate storage and enforces the exact number format needed, preventing data truncation or rounding.