Master the INT Data Type in MySQL with Practical Examples

A detailed journey through handling integers in MySQL may prove to be more exciting and useful than you think. Whether you're just starting out in the world of databases or simply need to hone your knowledge of specific data types, understanding the INT data type is essential. In working practice, integers are a crucial part of defining database schemas and optimizing the performance of SQL queries. Let's dive into how to use integers in MySQL effectively.

What is INT in MySQL?

INT or integer, is a common data type in SQL used to store integers, that is, numbers without fractions or decimal numbers. Depending on how we declare this data type, it can store both positive and negative numbers.

MySQL offers several types of integers, but the most common is INT. An INT type takes up 4 bytes of storage and can contain values from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647. For applications that require a smaller or larger range, MySQL offers other types such as TINYINT, SMALLINT, MEDIUMINT, and BIGINT.

Creating a table with INT

Suppose we are implementing a system for a small e-commerce. We are going to create a table to store information about the products that the store has available:

CREATE TABLE products ( product_id INT AUTO_INCREMENT, name VARCHAR(100), price INT, quantity_in_stock INT, PRIMARY KEY(product_id) );

In this example, product_id It is a column that we use as a primary key that autoincrements every time a new product is added. Fields price y quantity_in_stock They are integers.

Inserting and manipulating integer data

Now that we have our table, let's insert some products:

INSERT INTO products (name, price, quantity_in_stock) VALUES ('Sneakers', 79900, 12); INSERT INTO products (name, price, quantity_in_stock) VALUES ('Polyester T-shirt', 19900, 30);

By observing the operations, you will notice that it is easy to handle integers in SQL statements. We can modify any value of these columns using simple update commands:

UPDATE products SET quantity_in_stock = 10 WHERE product_id = 1;

Consultations and operations with INT

Imagine that we want to make a report of the average, minimum and maximum prices of our products. SQL aggregation functions make working with INT be very efficient:

SELECT AVG(price) AS average_price, MIN(price) AS minimum_price, MAX(price) AS maximum_price FROM products;

Outputs like these are key to making business decisions based on accurate data that is quick to calculate thanks to the use of integers.

Optimization and good use of INT

Finally, it is vital to know that the INT data type, despite being very useful, should be used with caution. Use INT It can unnecessarily consume storage and processing space unnecessarily. For example, if you know that a field will never exceed a value of 255, it is more optimized to use TINYINT rather INT.

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Studying, implementing and perfecting the use of data types such as INT in MySQL will not only make you better at database management, but will optimize your applications by making better use of resources. So, are you ready to put into practice everything you've learned about the INT data type in MySQL? Forward!