About Data Types
  • 28 Aug 2023
  • 2 Minutes to read
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About Data Types

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Article Summary

Overview

A Data Type is a classification of data that instructs the platform on how to handle the data and how it may be utilized. Basically this is what kind of data a structure has - text, numbers, dates, etc. The Data Type affects how the data can be used within the system. For example, a String (text) Data Type would not work for a math function, but the INT32 or Decimal types would work. 

Every Data Structure categorizes its variables as a Data Type. By default, Decisions defines a set of built-in Alphanumeric Types and Composite Types that represent a wide variety of logical constructs such as a User Account or Database Structure or as simple Types that only represent one value. 

Data Types can also be created through XML, JSON, or JSON Schema

The following information may be stored in a Data Type:

  • The storage space that a variable of the type requires.
  • The maximum and minimum values that it can represent.
  • The members (methods, fields, events, and so on) that it contains.
  • The base type it inherits from.
  • The location where the memory for variables will be allocated at run time.
  • The kinds of operations that are permitted.


Most Common Data Types in Decisions

For math calculations, use Integral and Floating-Point Types as follows:

Integral Types

TypeRangeSize
SByte-128 to 127Signed 8-bit integer
Byte0 to 255Unsigned 8-bit integer
CharU+0000 to U+ffffUnicode 16-bit character
Int16-32,768 to 32,767Signed 16-bit integer
Int32-2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647Signed 32-bit integer
Int64-9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807Signed 64-bit integer
UInt640 to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615Unsigned 64-bit integer

Floating Point Types

TypeApproximate RangePrecision
Single±1.5e−45 to ±3.4e387 digits
Double±5.0e−324 to ±1.7e30815-16 digits
Decimal(-7.9 x 1028to 7.9 x 1028) / (100 to 28)28-29 digits

Single and Double are Floating Binary Point Types to represent a number like this: 10001.10010110011. The binary number and the location of the binary point are both encoded within the value. Floating Binary Point Types are much faster to work with than decimals.

For values that are either imprecise or immense (such as with artifacts of nature or that which cannot be precisely measured), Float/Double Data Types are more appropriate. Scientific data is often represented in this form.

Decimal is a floating decimal point type to represent a number like this: 12345.65789. The number and the location of the decimal point are both encoded within the value – which keeps the Decimal as a Floating-Point Type instead of a Fixed-Point Type. 

For non-repeating decimal fractions and whole numbers, the most common Data Type is Decimal. This is usually suitable concepts such as such as financial values or product ratings.

With these Data Types, the original values are not "decimally accurate" to start with, so it is not important for the expected results to maintain decimal accuracy.

Non-Integral Type

datatypePurpose
StringRepresents alphanumeric text as a series of Unicode characters. String Type is used for all text data manipulations.
TimeSpanRepresents a time interval.
DateTimeRepresents an instant in time, typically expressed as a date and time of day.
BooleanRepresents a Boolean (true or false) value. Used in logical evaluations like ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
FileDataRepresents File in Decisions. Contains following members: Content (Byte Array), FileName (String), FileType (String), Length (Int32), Tag (Object).

Data Type Naming Rules

Data Types cannot have non-Latin characters and most special characters. Their names cannot begin with digits. Their names cannot be null.

Flow Input Data

There are limitations for the Input Data of a Flow.

Inputs can use any of the special characters listed above, but cannot use brackets [] . SETUP INPUT DATA will allow a name to be entered with those characters, but the input will not be selectable on steps. No error messages will appear.

Special Characters

The chart below shows which special characters can and cannot be used.

CharacterUseable?
-Yes
_Yes
!No
@No
#No
$No
%No
^No
&No
*No
(No
)No
+No
=No
{No
}No
[No
]No
,No
.No
<No
>No
?No
/No
\No
|No

Reserved Words

Certain words are used by SQL for functions and cannot be used as names of data types.

Word
add
all
alter
and
any
as
asc
authorization
backup
begin
between
break
browse
bulk
by
cascade
case
check
checkpoint
close
clustered
coalesce
collate
column
commit
compute
constraint
contains
containstable
continue
convert
create
cross
current
current_date
current_time
current_timestamp
current_user
cursor
database
dbcc
deallocate
declare
default
delete
deny
desc
disk
distinct
distributed
double
drop 
dump
else
end
errlvl
escape
except
exec
execute
exists
exit
external
fetch
file
fillfactor
for
foreign
freetext
freetexttable
from
full
function
goto
grant
group
having
holdlock
identity
identity_insert
identitycol
if
in
index
inner
insert
intersect
into
is
join
key
kill
left
like
lineno
load
merge
national
nocheck
nonclustered
not
null
nullif
of
off
offsets
on
open
opendatasoucre
openquery
openrowset
openexml
option
or
order
outer
over
percent
pivot
plan
precision
primary
print
proc
procedure
public
raiseerror
read
readtext
reconfigure
references
replication
restore
restrict
return
revert
revoke
right
rollback
rowcount
rowguidcol
rule
save
schema
securityaudit
select
semantickeyphrasetable
semanticsimilaritydetailstable
semanticssimilaritytable
session_user
set
setuser
shutdown
some
statistics
system_user
table
tablesample
textsize
then
to
top
tran
transaction
trigger
truncate
try_convert
tsequal
union
unique
unpivot
update
updatetext
use
user
values
varying
view
waitfor
when
where
while
with
within group
writetext



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