Teradata SQL Quick Reference Guide: Simplicity by Design, Second

Edition
by Tom Coffing, Michael Larkins and Steve Wilmes
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TeradataSQLQuickReferenceGuide:SimplicitybyDesign,SecondEdition

Appendix C: Data Types and Format Symbols

Overview
The following table is a chart of all the ANSI Standard Data Types that Teradata supports.
Data Type

Description

Data Value Range

INTEGER

Signed whole number

-2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647

SMALLINT

Signed smaller whole number

-32,768 to 32,767

DECIMAL (X,Y)

Signed decimal number 18 digits on either side of the decimal

point

Largest value DEC(18,0)

Synonym for DECIMAL

Same as DECIMAL

FLOAT

Floating Point Format (IEEE)

<value>10307to<value>10-308

REAL

Stored internally as FLOAT

PRECISION

Stored internally as FLOAT

DOUBLE PRECISION

Stored internally as FLOAT

CHARACTER (X)

Fixed length character string, 1 byte of storage per character,

1 to 64,000 characters long, pads to length with

space

Variable length character string, 1 byte of storage per character,

plus 2 bytes to record length of actual data

1 to 64,000 characters as a maximum. The system

only stores the characters presented to it

DATE

Signed internal representation of YYYMMDD (YYY represents

the number of years from 1900, i.e. 100 for Year 2000)

Currently to the year 3500 as a positive number and

back into AD years as a negative number.

TIME

Identifies a field as a TIME value with Hour, Minutes and

Seconds

TIMESTAMP

Identifies a field as a TIMESTAMP value with Year, Month, Day,

Hour, Minute, and Seconds

Where: X=1 thru 18, total number

of digits in the number

Smallest value DEC(18,18)

And Y=0 thru 18 digits to the right

of the decimal
NUMERIC (X,Y)
Same as DECIMAL

CHAR (X)
Where: X=1 thru 64000
VARCHAR (X)
CHARACTER VARYING (X)
CHAR VARYING (X)
Where: X=1 thru 64000

Teradata also has its own data types that are acknowledged as Teradata Extensions:
Data Type

Description

Data Value Range

BYTEINT

Signed whole number

-128 to 127

BYTE (X)

Binary

1 to 64,000 bytes

Variable length binary

1 to 64,000 bytes

LONG VARCHAR

Variable length string

64,000 characters (maximum data length) The system only stores the characters
provided, not trailing spaces.)

GRAPHIC (X)

Fixed length string of 16-bit bytes (2 bytes per

character)

1 to 32,000 KANJI characters

Variable length string of 16-bit bytes

1 to 32,000 characters as a maximum. The system only stores characters provided.

Where: X=1 thru

64000
VARBYTE (X)
Where: X=1 thru
64000

Where: X=1 thru

32000
VARGRAPHIC (X)
Where: X=1 thru
32000

Format Symbols
Formatting symbols are very powerful. These symbols allow the user to control the way data can be inserted into a row and displayed in the
result set. It provides for more predictable result sets.

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TeradataSQLQuickReferenceGuide:SimplicitybyDesign,SecondEdition

Hint - Man Be sure to keep in mind that the ODBC will ignore formatting, unless you trick it. To see true formatting, the user should use
BTEQ.
Basic Numeric and Character Data Formatting Symbols
Symbol
X or x
9

Mask character and how used

Character data. Each X represents one character. Can repeat value- i.e. XXXXX or X(5).
Decimal digit. Holds place for numeric digit for a display 0 through 9. All leading zeroes are shown if the format mask is longer than the data value.
Can repeat value- i.e. 99999 or 9(5).

V or v

Implied decimal point. Aligns data on a decimal value. Primarily used on imported data without actual decimal point.

E or e

Exponential. Aligns the end of the mantissa and the beginning of the exponent.

G or g

Graphic data. Each G represents one logical (double byte- KANJI or Katakana) character. Can repeat value- i.e. GGGGG or G(5).

Advanced Numeric and Character Formatting Symbols

Symbol

Mask character and how used

Fixed or floating dollar sign. Inserts a $ or leaves spaces and moves (floats) over to the first character of a currency value. With the proper keyboard,
additional currency signs are available: Cent, Pound and Yen.

Comma. Inserted where appears in format mask. Used primarily to make large numbers easier to read.

Period. Primary use to align decimal point position. Also used for: dates and comma in some currencies.

Dash character. Inserted where appears in format mask. Used primarily for dates and negative numeric values. Also used for: phone numbers, zip
codes, and social security (USA).

Slash character. Inserted where appears in format mask. Used primarily for dates.

Percent character. Inserted where appears in format mask. Used primarily for display of percentage - i.e. 99% vs. .99

Z or z

Zero-suppressed decimal digit. Holds place for numeric digit displays 1 through 9 and 0, when significant. All leading zeroes (insignificant) are shown
as space since their presence does not change the value of the number being displayed.

B or b

Blank data. Insert a space where appears in format mask.

SELECT 'ABCDE' (FORMAT 'XxX') AS Fmt_Shorter

,2014859999 (FORMAT '999-999-9999') AS Fmt_Phone
,1021.53 (FORMAT 'ZZZZZZ9.9999') AS Z_press
,991001
(FORMAT '$$$$,$$$.99') AS Fmt_Pay ;
In addition to have the ability to format Numeric and Character Data Types, a user may also format Dates.
Date Formatting Symbols
Symbol

Mask character and how used (not case specific)

M or m

Month. Allows month to be displayed any where in the date display. When 'MM' is specified, the numeric (01-12) value is available. When 'MMM' is
specified, the three character (JAN-DEC) value is available.

D or d

Day. Allows day to be displayed any where in the date display. When 'DD' is specified, the numeric (01-31) value is available. When 'DDD' is
specified, the three-digit day of the year (001-366) value is available.

Y or y

Year. Allows day to be displayed any where in the date display. The normal 'YY' has been used for many years for the 20th century with the 19YY
assumed. However, since we have moved into the 21st century, it is recommended that the 'YYYY' be used.

SELECT
991001(date) (FORMAT 'Yyddd') AS Fmt_Julian
,991001(date) (FORMAT 'YYYY-mm-dd') AS Fmt_ANSI
,9991001(date) (FORMAT 'yy/mm/dd') AS Fmt_Teradata ;

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