The following table defines the compatibility of data types
for comparisons. In some cases, columns can be mapped, but cannot
be used as Match Key columns. For example, if you compare source data
type Char to source data type Numeric, the data types are compatible,
but the pairing cannot be specified as a Match Key.
| Source Data Type |
Char (1) |
Numeric |
Boolean |
Date/Time (2) |
Interval |
| Char (1) |
Yes (9) |
Yes (4) |
Yes (4, 8) |
No |
No |
| Numeric |
Yes (4) |
Yes |
Yes (4, 7) |
No |
No |
| Boolean |
Yes (4, 8) |
Yes (4, 7) |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Date/Time (2) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (3, 5) |
No |
| Interval |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (6) |
Note: - Includes Char, VarChar, NChar,
NVarChar, Binary, VarBinary. You cannot compare multi-byte or Unicode
character data to binary or single-byte character data.
- Includes Date, Time, DateTime, Timestamp,
Timestamp with Time Zone, Timestamp with Local Time Zone.
- It is recommended that you compare
Oracle Timestamp with Time Zone columns to Timestamp with Time Zone
columns only, and Timestamp with Local Time Zone columns to Timestamp
with Local Time Zone columns only. Comparison to columns of different
data types may produce unexpected results due to Oracle assumptions
for storing and retrieving this data.
- Pairing cannot be specified as a
Match Key column.
- Comparison is valid as long as both
columns have the same high-order component. For example, a DB2® Timestamp may be compared with
an Informix® DateTime column
only when the Informix column
includes a ‘year' component.
- YearMonth interval columns can be
compared to YearMonth interval columns only. DayTime or DaySecond
interval columns can be compared to DayTime or DaySecond interval
columns only.
- In Numeric/Boolean comparisons,
when Numeric value is 0, then Boolean value is False. When Numeric
value is anything other than 0, then Boolean value is True.
- In Char/Boolean comparisons, when
Char value starts with T, t, Y, y, or 1, Boolean value is True. When
Char value starts with F, f, N, n, 0, Boolean value is False.
- Comparisons of binary with multi-byte
or Unicode data are not valid.