CODEWITHSUNDEEP
sqlpostgresqlhsqldb
user3001
user3001

Reputation: 3487

What is the standard SQL type for binary data?

I have a function which maps java to SQL types. As I want to store binary data, is there any type defined by the SQL standard which I can use both in PostgreSQL and hsqldb?

Upvotes: 4

Views: 7898

Answers (3)

ngreen
ngreen

Reputation: 1769

SQL has supported binary types since 1999: [https://mariadb.com/kb/en/sql-data-types/]. Vendors have had over a decade to add support for binary types, and most SQL databases do.

Upvotes: 1

fredt
fredt

Reputation: 24372

BINARY and VARBINARY are defined by the the SQL Standard. The Standard is currently at SQL:2011 (after 92, 1999, 2003 and 2008). HSQLDB supports all the core data types defined by the Standard.

The PostgreSQL BYTEA is similar to VARBINARY. You can define the BYTEA type in HSQLDB as a VARBINARY type with a large maximum size:

CREATE TYPE BYTEA AS VARBINARY(1000000)

Upvotes: 8

Andomar
Andomar

Reputation: 238176

The SQL 92 standard does not define a binary type. PostgreSQL has a bytea type, hsqldb has a binary type.

For a very portable (if not efficient) solution, convert the binary to base64, and store it in a string.

Upvotes: 9

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