SQL: Visual QuickStart Guide

Bit String Types

Use bit string data types to represent binary numbers. A bit string has these characteristics:

• It’s an ordered sequence of zero or more bits.

• Each bit has the value 0 or 1.

• It typically is used to store binary data such as application files or digitized sounds and images. Long bit strings often are called binary large objects or BLOBs.

• In SQL statements, a bit string is surrounded by single quotes.

• It’s one of the types listed in Table 3.6.

✓ Tips

• DBMSes don’t attempt to interpret bit strings; their meaning is up to the application.

• For experienced programmers: In addition to using binary (base 2) form, you can represent bit strings in hexadecimal, or hex, (base 16) form. The hexadecimal system uses the digits 0 through 9 and the ...