is there a boolean type in oracle databases?
+1
A:
There is a boolean type for use in pl/sql, but none that can be used as the data type of a column.
klausbyskov
2010-09-16 12:46:41
+1
A:
A common space-saving trick is storing boolean values as an Oracle CHAR, rather than NUMBER:
Pranay Rana
2010-09-16 12:48:30
CHAR(1) and VARCHAR2(1) are identical in space usage.
Tony Andrews
2010-09-16 13:13:23
+4
A:
Not only is the boolean datatype missing in Oracle's SQL (not PL/SQL), but they also have no clear recommendation about what to use instead. See this thread on asktom. From recommending CHAR(1) 'Y'/'N' they switch to NUMBER(1) 0/1 when someone points out that 'Y'/'N' depends on the English language, while e.g. German programmers might use 'J'/'N' instead.
The worst thing is that they defend this stupid decision just like they defend the ''=NULL stupidity.
ammoQ
2010-09-16 12:54:37
I also prefer 1/0, but of course you will also find people with a Visual Basic background who choose -1/0 instead. IMO there is only one sane solution to that problem: Oracle should create a boolean datatype. Can't be that hard when almost every other RDBMS has one.
ammoQ
2010-09-16 18:13:43
+1
A:
No there doesn't exist type boolean,but instead of this you can you 1/0(type number),or 'Y'/'N'(type char),or 'true'/'false' (type varchar2).
kupa
2010-09-16 13:06:23
A:
Just because nobody mentioned it yet: using RAW(1) also seems common practice.
Filburt
2010-09-16 13:33:04