Selecting a Data Type for a Column

There are two ways to select a data type for a column:

  • When you attach the column to a domain - The domain dictates a data type, a length, and a level of precision, as well as optional check parameters

  • When you manually select a adata type - You also specify a length, a level of precision, and optional check parameters

Note: Check parameters indicate data ranges and validation rules. You can set check parameters for domains, tables, and columns.
  1. Double-click a table to open its property sheet, and click the Columns tab.
  2. Click the required column entry and then click the Properties tool to open its property sheet.


  3. Select a data type from the Data Type list or click the Question mark button to open and choose a data type from the Standard Data Types dialog box.
  4. If required, enter a data type length and precision.
    Note: If you do not want to select a data type immediately, you can choose the <undefined> data type. When you generate the database, this data type is replaced by the default data type for your database, as defined in the DBMS.
  5. Click OK in each of the dialog boxes.
Parent topic: Columns (PDM)