Apache Hive : HPL/SQL - Data Types

Last updated: August 12, 2026

Table of Contents

Apache Hive : HPL/SQL - Data Types

You can use the following data types in HPL/SQL programs:

Data TypeAliasesDescription
BIGINTINT864-bit integer
BINARY_DOUBLEDouble precision floating-point number
BINARY_FLOATSingle precision floating-point number
BINARY_INTEGER32-bit integer
BIT0, 1 or NULL
BOOLBOOLEANTrue or false
CHAR(n)CHARACTER(n)Fixed-length string
DECIMAL(p,s)Fixed-point number
DATEDate (year, month and day)
DATETIMEDate and time
DOUBLEDOUBLE PRECISIONDouble precision floating-point number
FLOATSingle precision floating-point number
INTINTEGER, INT432-bit integer
NCHAR(n)Fixed-length string
NVARCHAR(n)Variable-length string
NUMERIC(p,s)Fixed-point number
NUMBER(p,s)Fixed-point number
PLS_INTEGER32-bit integer
REALSingle precision floating-point number
RECORDArbitrary record
SIMPLE_DOUBLEDouble precision floating-point number
SIMPLE_FLOATSingle precision floating-point number
SIMPLE_INTEGER32-bit integer
SMALLINTINT216-bit integer
SYS_REFCURSORCursor variable
TIMESTAMPDate and time
TINYINT8-bit integer
VARCHAR(n)VARCHAR(max)Variable-length string
VARCHAR2(n)Variable-length string
UTL_FILE.FILE_TYPEFile handle

Data Type Conversion

If CREATE TABLE contains a data type that is not supported by Hive, it is automatically converted by HPL/SQL.

Currently HPL/SQL performs the following conversions:

SourceHive SQL
BITTINYINT
DATETIMETIMESTAMP
INT(n)INT
INT2SMALLINT
INT4INT
INT8BIGINT
NCHAR(n)STRING
NVARCHAR(n)STRING
NUMBER(p,s)DECIMAL(p,s)
NUMERIC(p,s)DECIMAL(p,s)
TEXTSTRING
VARCHAR(MAX)STRING
VARCHAR2(n)STRING

For more information, see On-the-Fly Conversion