Boston Data Type Descriptions
The following are descriptions and examples for each data type in Boston. These descriptions provide a clear understanding of each data type's purpose and use case, along with an example to illustrate how they might be used in a practical context. The additional notes offer further clarification when necessary.
Data Type | Description | Example | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
DataTypeNotSet | Reserved for future use or to indicate an undefined data type. | N/A | Used as a placeholder when the data type is not yet determined. |
Boolean | Stores true or false values. | true |
Often used in control flow as flags. |
LogicalTrueFalse | Stores decisions as true or false. | false |
Explicitly for binary logical operations. |
LogicalYesNo | Stores decisions as yes or no. | Yes |
Used for clarity in user interfaces. |
AutoCounter | Numeric type that increments with each record. | 101 (after 100 ) |
Typically used as a primary key in databases. |
Decimal | Stores numbers with decimal points. | 123.45 |
Suitable for precise calculations like financial transactions. |
FloatCustomPrecision | Stores floating-point numbers with user-defined precision. | 3.14159 |
Precision can be set according to the required accuracy. |
FloatDoublePrecision | Stores floating-point numbers with double precision. | 3.141592653589793 |
Ideal for scientific calculations requiring high precision. |
FloatSinglePrecision | Stores floating-point numbers with single precision. | 3.1415927 |
Balances precision and performance for general use. |
Money | Formatted to handle monetary values. | $19.99 |
Ensures accuracy for financial data. |
SignedBigInteger | Stores very large integers, both positive and negative. | -9223372036854775808 |
Can represent a wide range of integer values. |
SignedInteger | Stores integers with a sign. | -2147483648 |
The standard integer type in most programming languages. |
SignedSmallInteger | Stores smaller ranges of signed integers. | -32768 |
Used when storage efficiency is important. |
UnsignedBigInteger | Stores very large non-negative integers. | 18446744073709551615 |
For when the value range will not include negatives. |
UnsignedInteger | Stores whole non-negative numbers. | 4294967295 |
Commonly used for counts and sizes. |
UnsignedSmallInteger | Stores small ranges of non-negative whole numbers. | 65535 |
Efficient for small quantities. |
UnsignedTinyInteger | Optimized for storing very small whole non-negative numbers. | 255 |
Minimal storage space required. |
ObjectID | Unique identifier for objects. | 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000 |
Often used in programming for object references. |
RowID | Unique identifier for database rows. | 000001F4 |
Ensures precise retrieval of database records. |
RawDataFixedLength | Stores raw binary data with a fixed length. | 10101010 (8 bits) |
Fixed length ensures consistent storage size. |
RawDataLargeLength | Stores large volumes of raw binary data. | Binary data of a .zip file | Used for storing files or large data blobs. |
RawDataOLEObject | Stores OLE objects for embedding complex data types. | Embedded Excel chart | Enables embedding objects like spreadsheets into documents. |
RawDataPicture | Specifically for storing image data. | Binary data of a .jpg image | Ensures images are stored in their native format. |
VariableLength | Accommodates raw binary data with variable length. | Binary data of varying length files | Flexible storage for binary data of unpredictable size. |
AutoTimestamp | Records the date and time when a record is created or modified. | 2023-11-13T10:45:30Z |
Timestamps are crucial for tracking changes. |
TemporalDate | Records dates without time of day. | 2023-11-13 |
Used for storing simple date information. |
TemporalDateTime | Records both the date and the time. | 2023-11-13 10:45:30 |
Useful for logging events to a precise moment. |
Time | Dedicated to recording time of day. | 10:45:30 |
When only the time component is needed. |
TextFixedLength | Stores strings of a specified, fixed length. | Hello (10 characters) |
Good for data that will always be the same length. |
TextLargeLength | Stores longer strings of text. | Entire paragraphs of text | For text data that can be very large, like comments or articles. |
TextVariableLength | Stores strings of varying length. | Hello, World! |
Most flexible for text, as it can store a wide range of lengths. |