Re: cast numeric with scale and precision to numeric plain

From: Adrian Klaver <aklaver(at)comcast(dot)net>
To: Sim Zacks <sim(at)compulab(dot)co(dot)il>
Cc: pgsql-general(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: cast numeric with scale and precision to numeric plain
Date: 2009-10-20 20:46:08
Message-ID: 430396531.6053661256071567996.JavaMail.root@sz0030a.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net
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----- "Sim Zacks" <sim(at)compulab(dot)co(dot)il> wrote:

> >> According to the documentation, numeric is stored without any
> leading
> >> or trailing zeros.
> >>
> >
> > That says *stored*; it doesn't say *displayed*.
> >
> > regards, tom lane
> >
> If it displays them, it has to know they exist. That means it stores
> it
> somewhere.
> > The part of the above that you need to look at is where it says it
> does not
> > store 'any extra leading or trailing zeroes'. In your case you
> entered the
> > value with three trailing zeroes which are taken to be significant
> (see Toms
> > reply also). If you had inserted just 15 you would have gotten back
> 15.
> >
> I guess that's a matter of interpretation. To me zeros after a
> decimal
> point without anything else after them are extra.

See below for an explanation of why the above statement is incorrect.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Significant_figures

Adrian Klaver
aklaver(at)comcast(dot)net

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