Difference Between MySQL Float vs Decimal
MySQL provides the different types of data types to the user, the float and decimal are data types which are provided by MySQL. By using float data type we can represent the approximate numeric value, in MySQL float data types four bytes are used to store the single-precision value and eight bytes are used to store the double-precision values. On the other side, we have a decimal data type that comes under the numeric data types; we can use DEC as a decimal. Normally decimal is used to store the fixed value into the database. In decimal, we need to define the decimal point precision and float data types there is no need to specify the precision point.
Head to Head Comparison between MySQL Float vs Decimal (Infographics)
Below are the top 5 differences between MySQL Float vs Decimal:
Key Differences between MySQL Float vs Decimal
Now let’s see what is the key difference between the float and decimal data types in MySQL as follows.
- Basically floating and decimal data types are the same; this is confusion in between the float and decimal. This similarity of float and decimal data type is based on mathematics. But the key difference between them is memory and precision.
- Confusion may cause floating-point numbers that are summarised and not put away as careful exact values. A floating-point value as written in a SQL statement may not be equivalent to the internal representation of an SQL statement. Endeavors to treat floating-point numbers as accurate in correlations may prompt issues. They are likewise dependent upon the stage of execution conditions. The FLOAT and DOUBLE data types are dependent upon these issues. For DECIMAL sections, MySQL performs activities with an accuracy of 65 decimal digits, which ought to tackle most basic incorrectness issues.
- The DECIMAL data types are utilized to store definite numeric values. This is also called “Fixed-Point” or “Exact Value” Types and commonly utilized when it is critical to save precision points with exact value, for instance putting away the financial information like item cost. In MySQL, NUMERIC is executed as DECIMAL.
- While pronouncing a DECIMAL or NUMERIC segment, the accuracy and scale can be determined, as DECIMAL (P,S) or NUMERIC(P,S), where P is the exactness and S is the scale. The accuracy indicates the greatest number of digits (counting the digits after the decimal point) that can be put away in the section, though the scale addresses the number of digits that can be put away after the decimal point. For instance, the value DECIMAL (8, 2) segment can store any worth with eight digits and two decimals for example in the range from – 222222.22 to 222222.22.
- In other words, we can say that the decimal data type has a higher precision point and basically is used in financial software to avoid the rounding error in mathematics. but the performance of the decimal type is slow as compared to the float data type. But one more important thing about the decimal is that it provides the 100 % correct representation of numbers and the other side float data types cannot provide the accurate representation of numbers even if numbers are in a specified format. Basically, the float data type is used in the graphic libraries.
- Now let’s see the different examples of float and decimal data types to understand the more key difference between them by using MySQL statement as follows.
Example
First, we need to create a new table by using the following table as follows.
create table sample_F_D (sample_id int, Sample_Float float, Sample_Decimal decimal (4,2));
Explanation: By using the above statement, we created a new table name sample_F_D with different attributes such as sample_id with the integer data type, Sample_Float with the float data type, and Sampl_Decimal with decimal data type, and here also we specify the precision point as shown in the above statement. The final out of the above statement we illustrate by using the following screenshot as follows.
Now insert some value to identify the basic difference between the float and decimal data type.
Insert into sample_F_D(sample_id, Sample_Float, Sample_Decimal) values(1, 2.1, 2.1), (2, 2.1, 2.1), (3, 2.1, 2.1) ;
Explanation: See here we use to insert into a statement to insert the floating and decimal value into the sample table.
Now see inserted records as follows.
select * from sample;
Explanation: In the above statement we use the select statement to display the rows from the sample table. It shows the floating number as well as the decimal number. The final out of the above statement we illustrate by using the following screenshot as follows.
Now perform the sum of both columns and see the difference between them as follows.
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select sum(Sample_Float), sum(Sample_Decimal) from sample;
Explanation: After execution of the above statement the difference between float and decimal as shown in the below screenshot as follows.
The final output is different; notice here the Sample_Deciamal column is more precise.
MySQL Float vs Decimal Comparison Table
Now let’s see the comparison table of float and decimal data types on MySQL as follows.
| Float | Decimal |
| Float data types are used to store the approximate precision point. | In decimal data type, we can store the exact and same precision point. |
| We can make the changes in the floating-point number after the decimal point | In decimal data type, we can make such kinds of changes. |
| In float data type actually, there is no need to define the precision point. When we specify the float data type to store the 6 digits then it is capable to store the 25.32 and 43.365 | In decimal data type, we need to define precision points. For example, 25.32 and 45.364 should use decimal precision points. |
| By default range of floating data type is 24 places | By default, the range of decimal data types corresponds to one byte. |
| Basically floating data type is a single-precision that means it uses the 32-bit floating-point data type. | In decimal data type, we can use 128-bit floating-point data type. |
Conclusion
We hope from this article you learn the MySQL float vs decimal. From the above article, we have learned the float vs decimal in mysql and we also see different examples of MySQL float vs decimal. From this article, we learned how and when we use the MySQL float vs decimal.
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