79770

Data Type The data type attribute defines the kind of data to be stored in the column. When you create a table, you must specify a data type for each of its columns.

Data types dcfine the domain of values that each column can contain. For example, DATĘ columns cannot accept the valuc February 29 (exccpt for a leap year) or the

values 2 or SHOE. Each value subsequently inserted in a column assumes the column data type. For cxamplc. if you insert 17-JAN-2004 into a datę column, then Oracle Database treats that character string as a datę value after verifying that it converts to a valid datę.

Table 8-1 lists some common Oracle Database built-in data types.