MySQL · December 20, 2023

MySQL Command: MEDIUMINT

MySQL Command: MEDIUMINT

MySQL is a popular open-source relational database management system that is widely used for web applications. It offers a wide range of data types to store different types of data efficiently. One such data type is MEDIUMINT, which is used to store medium-sized integers. In this article, we will explore the MEDIUMINT data type in MySQL and understand its features and usage.

Overview of MEDIUMINT

MEDIUMINT is a fixed-size integer data type in MySQL that can store signed integers ranging from -8388608 to 8388607. It requires 3 bytes of storage space. The MEDIUMINT data type is useful when you need to store numbers that are larger than the TINYINT and SMALLINT data types but smaller than INT.

Here is the syntax to define a column with the MEDIUMINT data type:

column_name MEDIUMINT

You can also specify the optional display width for the MEDIUMINT data type. The display width represents the number of characters to display when retrieving the value. For example:

column_name MEDIUMINT(width)

Where width can be a value from 1 to 255.

Usage of MEDIUMINT

The MEDIUMINT data type is commonly used in scenarios where you need to store medium-sized integers, such as:

  • Storing user IDs
  • Storing product IDs
  • Storing quantities
  • Storing ratings

By using the MEDIUMINT data type, you can ensure efficient storage and retrieval of these medium-sized integer values.

Examples

Let's consider a scenario where you have a table named "users" to store user information, and you want to store the user IDs as MEDIUMINT values. Here is an example of how you can create the table:

CREATE TABLE users (
  id MEDIUMINT,
  name VARCHAR(50),
  email VARCHAR(100)
);

In this example, the "id" column is defined as MEDIUMINT, which will store the user IDs.

You can also specify the display width for the MEDIUMINT data type. For example, if you want to display the user IDs with a width of 6 characters, you can define the column as follows:

CREATE TABLE users (
  id MEDIUMINT(6),
  name VARCHAR(50),
  email VARCHAR(100)
);

By specifying the display width, you can control the formatting of the retrieved values.

Summary

In conclusion, the MEDIUMINT data type in MySQL is a useful option for storing medium-sized integers efficiently. It requires 3 bytes of storage space and can store signed integers ranging from -8388608 to 8388607. The MEDIUMINT data type is commonly used for storing user IDs, product IDs, quantities, and ratings. By understanding the features and usage of the MEDIUMINT data type, you can make informed decisions when designing your database schema.

For more information about VPS hosting and to explore our high-performance VPS solutions, visit Server.HK.