Data type limitations
The Microsoft ODBC Desktop Database Drivers impose the following limitations on data types:
| Data type | Description |
|---|---|
| All data types | Type conversion failures might result in the affected column being set to NULL. |
BINARY |
Creating a zero-length BINARY column actually returns a 255-byte BINARY column. |
DATE |
The DATE data type can't be converted to another data type (or itself) by the CONVERT function. |
DECIMAL (exact numeric) |
Not supported. |
| Floating-point data types | The number of decimal places in a floating-point number might be limited by the number format set in the International section of the Windows Control Panel. |
NUMERIC |
Supports maximum precision and a scale of 28. |
TIMESTAMP |
The TIMESTAMP data type can't be converted to itself by the CONVERT function. |
TINYINT |
TINYINT values are always unsigned. |
| Zero-length strings | When a dBASE, Microsoft Excel, Paradox, or Text driver is used, inserting a zero-length string into a column inserts a NULL instead. |