Unsigned integer

As explained in Grokking Relational Database Design

An unsigned integer is a nonnegative integer representation without a negative sign.

An unsigned integer stores whole numbers without negative values. Compared with a signed integer using the same storage size, it can represent a larger maximum value. section 4.6

Keep these practical rules in mind:

• TINYINT, SMALLINT, INT, and BIGINT use 1, 2, 4, and 8 bytes, respectively. section 4.6
• An unsigned TINYINT reaches 255, while a signed TINYINT reaches 127. section 4.6
• An unsigned INT reaches 4,294,967,295; values beyond that require BIGINT. section 4.6

Choosing a type for an identifier

For a payment_id attribute, first identify it as numeric and then choose a suitable integer type. TINYINT is too small, SMALLINT may be too small for a very large store, and INT is sufficient for now; BIGINT provides more capacity. section 4.6

Compare the ranges available to signed and unsigned integer types. section 4.6

How Grokking Relational Database Design covers it

How deep it goes

Defines signedness, compares capacities, and applies type selection to an identifier without detailing storage internals.

Examples

Uses signed and unsigned TINYINT limits, unsigned INT capacity, and payment_id type selection.

What it assumes

Assumes basic database requirements and sample data, then teaches integer signedness and capacity from the beginning.

What you can do after

Evaluate database attributes and choose an appropriately sized integer type for nonnegative values.

How it connects

Connects unsigned integers with signed numbers, integer data types, numeric IDs, and database attributes.

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Also explained in

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  Modern CAn unsigned integer type is a C integer type whose representable values are non-negative.
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  Go in Action, Second EditionAn unsigned integer is an integer type that represents nonnegative whole-number values only.
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  Learn C++ by ExampleAn unsigned integer is an integer type representing only nonnegative values within a fixed range using unsigned arithmetic.
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  Learn Go with Pocket-Sized Projectsuint is Go's unsigned integer type whose size is implementation-dependent and corresponds to the native word size.
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  Julia as a Second LanguageAn unsigned integer type represents nonnegative whole numbers within a fixed bit width.
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  Fast Python: High performance techniques for large datasets

Compare how 9 books explain unsigned integer →

Related concepts

• integercontrasts with · An integer is a whole number with no fractional part, including negative numbers, zero, and positive numbers.
• booleanincludes · A Boolean is a logical type or value representing truth or falsity, conventionally with two states: true and false.
• bit operationuses · A bitwise operation transforms or combines integer values by applying logical, arithmetic, or shifting rules to corresponding binary bits.
• size_tincludes · size_t is an unsigned integer type in C and C++ capable of representing the size of any object.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Grokking Relational Database Design. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.