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SQL Data Types Ref

By iwantcoding.com Editorial Team · Reviewed & last updated June 6, 2026 · Part of SQL Tutorial

Cross-reference of common SQL data types across the four major engines. Names differ; the storage shape is usually similar.

Integers

Logical	MySQL	PostgreSQL	SQL Server	Oracle
Tiny	`TINYINT`	`SMALLINT`	`TINYINT`	`NUMBER(3)`
Small	`SMALLINT`	`SMALLINT`	`SMALLINT`	`NUMBER(5)`
Regular	`INT`	`INTEGER`	`INT`	`NUMBER(10)`
Big	`BIGINT`	`BIGINT`	`BIGINT`	`NUMBER(19)`

Decimals & floats

Logical	MySQL	PostgreSQL	SQL Server	Oracle
Exact	`DECIMAL(p,s)`	`NUMERIC(p,s)`	`DECIMAL(p,s)`	`NUMBER(p,s)`
Single float	`FLOAT`	`REAL`	`REAL`	`BINARY_FLOAT`
Double float	`DOUBLE`	`DOUBLE PRECISION`	`FLOAT`	`BINARY_DOUBLE`

Strings

Logical	MySQL	PostgreSQL	SQL Server	Oracle
Fixed	`CHAR(n)`	`CHAR(n)`	`CHAR(n) / NCHAR(n)`	`CHAR(n)`
Variable	`VARCHAR(n)`	`VARCHAR(n)`	`VARCHAR(n) / NVARCHAR(n)`	`VARCHAR2(n)`
Long	`TEXT`	`TEXT`	`VARCHAR(MAX)`	`CLOB`

Dates & times

Logical	MySQL	PostgreSQL	SQL Server	Oracle
Date	`DATE`	`DATE`	`DATE`	`DATE`
Time	`TIME`	`TIME`	`TIME`	part of `TIMESTAMP`
Date+Time	`DATETIME`	`TIMESTAMP`	`DATETIME2`	`TIMESTAMP`
With zone	`TIMESTAMP`	`TIMESTAMPTZ`	`DATETIMEOFFSET`	`TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE`

Other

Boolean — MySQL BOOLEAN = TINYINT(1); PG BOOLEAN; SQL Server BIT; Oracle NUMBER(1).
Binary — BLOB (MySQL/Oracle), BYTEA (PG), VARBINARY(MAX) (SQL Server).
JSON — JSON (MySQL/PG), JSONB (PG, indexable), JSON via NVARCHAR in SQL Server.
UUID — native UUID (PG); CHAR(36) or BINARY(16) elsewhere; UNIQUEIDENTIFIER in SQL Server.

Tip: When migrating between engines, the data-type translation is half the work — the other half is the SQL dialect around it.

Lesson at a glance

Your progress through the SQL Tutorial track.

Aspect	Detail
Track	SQL Tutorial
Topic	SQL Data Types Ref
Section	SQL References
Position	Lesson 68 of 76
Difficulty	Advanced
Previous	← MS Access Functions
Next	SQL Quick Ref →

Example

-- Pick the smallest type that fits:
-- TINYINT  → 0..255
-- INT      → +-2.1B
-- BIGINT   → very large
-- VARCHAR(n) → variable text
-- DECIMAL(p,s) → money

Try it Yourself »

Exercise

PostgreSQL indexable JSON type.

data

Test yourself

📚 Study aids for SQL Data Types Ref

Reading is only step one. To lock in sql data types ref from the SQL Tutorial track, use the interactive tools iwantcoding.com ships with every lesson:

Try it live — open the in-browser SQL Tutorial editor and paste in the example above. No install required.
Drill the terms — flip through the SQL Tutorial flashcards to memorise syntax and keywords.
Prove you know it — take the SQL Tutorial boss quiz for a 10-question randomised test across the whole track.
Keep a reference — bookmark the SQL Tutorial cheatsheet for quick lookups while you code.
Continue the track — the next lesson is SQL Quick Ref.

💡 Editor's tip: Learners who complete the flashcards before the boss quiz score, on average, 22% higher on the first attempt. Reading → drilling → testing → building is the order that sticks.

Discussion

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SQL Data Types Ref

Integers

Decimals & floats

Strings

Dates & times

Other

Example

Exercise

Test yourself

Discussion