Answer to Question #272979 in Databases | SQL | Oracle | MS Access for BossyGurl

Question

Discuss the various PL/ SQL scalar data types available to store specific kinds of data with the use of examples. (10 marks)

Answer 1

PL/SQL scalar data types:

Number Types: let you store numeric data (integers, real numbers, and floating-point numbers), represent quantities, and do calculations

example: NUMBER Datatype: stores fixed-point or floating-point numbers with absolute values in the range 1E-130 up to (but not including) 1.0E126

NUMBER[(precision,scale)]

 Character and String Types:  let you store alphanumeric data, represent words and text, and manipulate character strings

example: CHAR Datatype:  store fixed-length character data. How the data is represented internally depends on the database character set

CHAR[(maximum_size [CHAR  |  BYTE] )]

LOB Types: store blocks of unstructured data, such as text, graphic images, video clips, and sound waveforms.

example: BFILE datatype: store large binary objects in operating system files outside the database

Boolean Types: representing Boolean values (true and false)

example: store the logical values TRUE, FALSE, and NULL

Date, Time, and Interval Types:

example: DATE datatype: store fixed-length datetimes, which include the time of day in seconds since midnight