Question

Which among the following is the correct representation of “float(5,0)”?

(a) 12345.123

(b) 12345.1

(c) 12345

(d) 123.123

This question was addressed to me in an international level competition.

I'm obligated to ask this question of MySQL Datatypes topic in chapter Data Types of MySQL

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(c) 12345

Explanation: In MySQL, the FLOAT(M,D) data type is used to store floating-point numbers, where M is the total number of digits (precision) and D is the number of digits after the decimal point (scale).

• FLOAT(5,0) means a floating-point number with a total of 5 digits and 0 digits after the decimal point. Essentially, this means it will store a number with up to 5 digits, but no decimal part.

For example:

• 12345 is a valid representation of this, as it has no decimal part and fits within 5 digits.

Here’s why the other options are incorrect:

• (a) 12345.123: This has more than 0 digits after the decimal, so it does not match the specification of FLOAT(5,0).
• (b) 12345.1: This also has 1 digit after the decimal point, which doesn't match the FLOAT(5,0) specification of 0 digits after the decimal.
• (d) 123.123: This also has digits after the decimal point, which doesn't align with FLOAT(5,0).

Therefore, the correct answer is (c) 12345.