Boolean datatypes

Hi All,
How to create fields with boolean datatypes? There seems to be no 'boolean'
SQL data type. Can the bit datatype be used to store 0 for false and 1 for
true?
Thanks,
kd
kd,
There are no boolean datatype in SQL Server 7/2000. You can use bit (or
another "numeric" datatype, tinyint for example) or use a char(1)
storing "F"/"T" (or "Y"/"N" or whatever). Bit is normally "converted" to
a boolean by ADO (but I'm not sure if bit=0 is TRUE or FALSE, I _think_
it "means" FALSE...).
Lars Broberg
Elbe-Data AB
http://www.elbe-data.se
Remove "nothing." when replying to private e-mail!
kd wrote:
> Hi All,
> How to create fields with boolean datatypes? There seems to be no 'boolean'
> SQL data type. Can the bit datatype be used to store 0 for false and 1 for
> true?
> Thanks,
> kd
|||You are correct that there is no Boolean datatype in SQL Server. You can choose whatever you want to
represent what you want to call "true" and "false", these will only be values of that datatype for
SQL Server. Some programming environments will consider bit as Boolean and bind such automatically;
but to SQL Server, bit is a numeric datatype restricted to 0 and 1 (*). There has been several
discussions ion this group and .programming on the subject and I recommend that you check the
archives and determine whether you want to use bit or, for example, char(1) with a check constraint
restricting to 't' pr 'f', 'y' or 'n' etc (see the old discussions other options exists).
(*) One strange thing with the bit datatype in SQL Server is that you will not get an overflow if
you assign, for instance, the value 2 to a bit datatype. The result will be 1.
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
http://www.sqlug.se/
"kd" <kd@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3F70CFF6-3B66-497A-B2D0-5A98E9D6F597@.microsoft.com...
> Hi All,
> How to create fields with boolean datatypes? There seems to be no 'boolean'
> SQL data type. Can the bit datatype be used to store 0 for false and 1 for
> true?
> Thanks,
> kd
|||In addition to the other comments... When deciding whether to use bit or
char(1), you are (essentially) weighing the space savings of bit, versus the
ease of printing with a char(1)( no conversion on output)...
Wayne Snyder, MCDBA, SQL Server MVP
Mariner, Charlotte, NC
www.mariner-usa.com
(Please respond only to the newsgroups.)
I support the Professional Association of SQL Server (PASS) and it's
community of SQL Server professionals.
www.sqlpass.org
"kd" <kd@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3F70CFF6-3B66-497A-B2D0-5A98E9D6F597@.microsoft.com...
> Hi All,
> How to create fields with boolean datatypes? There seems to be no
> 'boolean'
> SQL data type. Can the bit datatype be used to store 0 for false and 1 for
> true?
> Thanks,
> kd