Data types

Preview Spark data types in SparkSQL and Databricks compatibility modes. A supported type name can be written as-is in casts and column definitions. Both modes map types the same way.

Spark type	Support	Notes
`BOOLEAN`	Supported
`TINYINT`, `SMALLINT`	Supported	Stored as `INTEGER`: Firebolt has no narrower integer type. `BYTE` and `SHORT` are not supported.
`INT`, `INTEGER`	Supported
`BIGINT`	Supported
`LONG`	SparkSQL mode only	A synonym for `BIGINT`. Use `BIGINT` in Databricks mode.
`FLOAT`, `REAL`	Supported	32-bit floating point.
`DOUBLE`	Supported
`DECIMAL(p, s)`, `DEC`, `NUMERIC`	With limitations	Always `NUMERIC(38, 9)`: the declared precision and scale are not applied.
`STRING`, `VARCHAR(n)`, `CHAR(n)`	Supported	All map to `TEXT`. A declared length is not enforced, and `CHAR` is not blank-padded.
`BINARY`	Supported
`DATE`	Supported
`TIMESTAMP`, `TIMESTAMP_LTZ`	Supported	An instant, shown in the session time zone, as in Spark.
`TIMESTAMP_NTZ`	Supported	A wall-clock date and time with no time zone.
`ARRAY<T>`	Supported	Subscripts count from 0, as in Spark: `arr[0]` is the first element.
`STRUCT<name: T, ...>`	Supported	Fields are read with `.`, as in `s.name`.
`MAP<K, V>`	Not supported	Neither a column type nor a value: `map(...)` and the `map_` functions are rejected.
`INTERVAL`	With limitations	Interval literals and arithmetic work. An `INTERVAL` column type, or a cast to an interval type, is not supported.
`VARIANT`, `OBJECT`	Not supported	Store semi-structured data as `STRING` and read it with the JSON functions.
`TIME`	Not supported
`VOID`	Not supported
`GEOGRAPHY`	With limitations	The Databricks type name is accepted. The Spark `ST_` functions are not supported; see Geospatial functions.
`GEOMETRY`	Not supported

Column definitions

NOT NULL, DEFAULT <expr>, and GENERATED ALWAYS AS (expr) are applied. A generated column cannot be computed from a TIMESTAMP, which is Firebolt’s TIMESTAMPTZ and depends on the session time zone; use TIMESTAMP_NTZ. Identity columns, GENERATED ALWAYS AS IDENTITY and GENERATED BY DEFAULT AS IDENTITY, are not supported. A PRIMARY KEY constraint requires its columns to be declared NOT NULL.

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Column definitions

​Column definitions

Column definitions