Every data value belongs to an SQL data type. For example, when you define a column in a CREATE TABLE statement, you must specify the data type of the column. Teradata Database supports the following categories of data types. For a complete list of supported data types and detailed information about each data type, see Teradata Vantage™ - Data Types and Literals, B035-1143.
| Data Type Category | Description | Data Type Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ARRAY/VARRAY | An ARRAY data type is used for storing and accessing multidimensional data. The ARRAY data type can store many values of the same specific data type in a sequential or matrix-like format. |
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| Byte | Byte data types store raw data as logical bit streams. These data types are stored in the client system format and are not translated by Teradata Database. The data is transmitted directly from the memory of the client system. |
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| Character | Character data types represent characters that belong to a given character set. These data types represent character data. |
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| DATASET | A complex data type that represents self-describing data stored in a format conforming to some schema. |
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| DateTime | DateTime data types represent date, time, and timestamp values. |
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| Geospatial | Geospatial data types represent geographic information and provides a way for applications that manage, analyze, and display geographic information to interface with Teradata Database. |
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| Interval | Interval data types represent a span of time. For example, an interval value can represent a time span that includes a number of years, months, days, hours, minutes, or seconds. |
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| JSON | The JSON data type represents data that is in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format. | JSON |
| Numeric | Numeric data types represent a numeric value that is an exact numeric number (integer or decimal) or an approximate numeric number (floating point). |
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| Parameter | Parameter data types are data types that can be used only with input or result parameters in a function, method, stored procedure, or external stored procedure. |
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| Period | A Period data type represents a time period, where a period is a set of contiguous time granules that extends from a beginning bound up to but not including an ending bound. |
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| UDT | UDT (User-Defined Type) data types are custom data types that you define to model the structure and behavior of the data used by your applications. |
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| XML | The XML data type represents XML content. The data is stored in a compact binary form that preserves the information set of the XML document, including the hierarchy information and type information derived from XML validation. | XML |
For detailed information on data types and the related functions, procedures, methods, and operators that operate on these types, see the following documents:
- Teradata Vantage™ - Data Types and Literals, B035-1143
- Teradata Vantage™ - Geospatial Data Types , B035-1181
- Teradata Vantage™ - JSON Data Type, B035-1150
- Teradata Vantage™ - XML Data Type, B035-1140
- Teradata Vantage™ - SQL Functions, Expressions, and Predicates, B035-1145