FLOAT and NUMBER datatypes

[mallard]

Could someone please explain the differences between the FLOAT and NUMBER datatypes? What situations would be good to use the FLOAT datatype?

[Shestakov]

In internal level of oracle DB no any difference: FLOAT = NUMBER(38)

[julian]

Of course there is difference, FLOAT is a subtype of NUMBER!

[mallard]

When would I want to use the FLOAT subtype?

[Shestakov]

Originally posted by julian

Of course there is difference, FLOAT is a subtype of NUMBER!

First question: About what language we are talking SQL or PL/SQL?

If about SQL then,
Oracle has 3 classes of datatypes
-- Oracle Built-in datatypes (internal level) and, Julian, try to find FLOAT there.
-- ANSI (DB2...) datatypes and Oracle convert its into Built-in datatypes in any way. In this case u can declare FLOAT datatype
-- Oracle-Supplied Types.

If about PL/SQL then, u right
NUMBER has following subtypes for compatibility with ANSI/ISO and IBM types:
DEC, DECIMAL, DOUBLE PRECISION, FLOAT, INTEGER, INT, NUMERIC, REAL, SMALLINT.