SQLite database supports a variety of data types to represent different kinds of data. In this article, we will discuss the five main data types in SQLite: NULL, INTEGER, REAL, TEXT, and BLOB.
NULL
The NULL data type in SQLite represents a missing or unknown value. It is commonly used to indicate the absence of a value in a database table column. NULL is not equivalent to zero or an empty string; it is a distinct value that indicates the absence of any value.
INTEGER
The INTEGER data type in SQLite represents whole numbers, both positive and negative. SQLite supports a wide range of integer values, ranging from -9223372036854775808 to 9223372036854775807. Integer values are typically used to represent identifiers, counts, and other numeric values.
REAL
The REAL data type in SQLite represents floating-point numbers. Floating-point numbers are used to represent decimal values and fractions, such as monetary values, percentages, and ratios. SQLite supports both single-precision (32-bit) and double-precision (64-bit) floating-point numbers.
TEXT
The TEXT data type in SQLite represents character strings, such as names, addresses, and descriptions. SQLite stores text data as Unicode strings, which means that it can store text data in any language. SQLite supports a variety of text encoding schemes, including UTF-8, UTF-16, and UTF-32.
BLOB
The BLOB data type in SQLite represents binary data, such as images, audio files, and video files. BLOBs are typically used to store large amounts of data that are not easily represented as text. SQLite supports BLOBs of up to 2^31-1 bytes in size.
In conclusion, SQLite provides a range of data types to represent different types of data in a database. Understanding these data types is crucial for designing and managing efficient and effective database structures.