The data types that you use in the parameter list of the Java method map to the SQL data types in the parameter list of the CREATE FUNCTION or REPLACE FUNCTION statement.
Consider the following CREATE FUNCTION statement for a scalar UDF:
CREATE FUNCTION factorial (x INTEGER) RETURNS INTEGER LANGUAGE JAVA NO SQL PARAMETER STYLE JAVA RETURNS NULL ON NULL INPUT EXTERNAL NAME 'JarUDF:UDFExample.fact';
The parameter list specifies that the SQL data type of x is INTEGER. The signature of the fact method that implements the UDF looks like this:
public static int fact( int x ) { ... }
The default mapping convention is simple mapping, where SQL data types map to Java primitives. If no Java primitive can adequately map to an SQL type, then the default mapping convention is object mapping, where SQL data types map to Java classes.
Consider a factorial UDF that takes a DECIMAL value:
CREATE FUNCTION factorial (x DECIMAL(8,2)) RETURNS INTEGER LANGUAGE JAVA NO SQL PARAMETER STYLE JAVA RETURNS NULL ON NULL INPUT EXTERNAL NAME 'JarUDF:UDFExample.fact';
Because the DECIMAL type does not map adequately to a Java primitive, the DECIMAL type maps to java.math.BigDecimal. The signature of the fact method that implements the UDF looks like this:
public static int fact( BigDecimal x ) { ... }
For details on how SQL data types map to Java data types, see SQL Data Type Mapping.