Hexadecimal Format For Integer Numbers

SQL Language StructureCommon Language Elements

Hexadecimal Format for Integer Numbers

Constants of integer types can be specified in a hexadecimal format by means of 1 to 8 digits for INTEGER, 9 to 16 hexadecimal digits for BIGINT, and 10 to 32 hexadecimal digits for INT128.Hex representation for writing to SMALLINT is not explicitly supported, but Firebird will transparently convert a hex number to SMALLINT if necessary, provided it falls within the ranges of negative and positive SMALLINT.

The usage and numerical value ranges of hexadecimal notation are described in more detail in the discussion of number constants in the chapter entitled Common Language Elements.

Examples Using Integer Types

CREATE TABLE WHOLELOTTARECORDS (
  ID BIGINT NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
  DESCRIPTION VARCHAR(32)
);

INSERT INTO MYBIGINTS VALUES (
  -236453287458723,
  328832607832,
  22,
  -56786237632476,
  0X6F55A09D42,       -- 478177959234
  0X7FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, -- 9223372036854775807
  0XFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, -- -1
  0X80000000,         -- -2147483648, an INTEGER
  0X080000000,        -- 2147483648, a BIGINT
  0XFFFFFFFF,         -- -1, an INTEGER
  0X0FFFFFFFF         -- 4294967295, a BIGINT
);

The hexadecimal INTEGERs in the above example are automatically cast to BIGINT before being inserted into the table.However, this happens after the numerical value is determined, so 0x80000000 (8 digits) and 0x080000000 (9 digits) will be stored as different BIGINT values.

Conversion of Data Types

When composing an expression or specifying an operation, the aim should be to use compatible data types for the operands.When a need arises to use a mixture of data types, it should prompt you to look for a way to convert incompatible operands before subjecting them to the operation.The ability to convert data may well be an issue if you are working with Dialect 1 data.