When you create a table or add a field to a table in the geodatabase, fields are created as a specific data type. Data types are classifications that identify possible values for and operations that can be done on the data, as well as the way the data in that field is stored in the database.
When you import data of one type into a field of another data type, you need to understand what the equivalent data types are between ArcGIS and your database management system (DBMS), because it can impact data content. Also, when creating new datasets in ArcGIS, it is helpful to know the equivalent data types between ArcGIS and your DBMS. For example, if you add a floating-point (float) column to an existing feature class, that equates to a numeric data type column in a SQL Server database.
Learn how data converts from one type to another
File geodatabase data types are the same as ArcGIS data types. For DBMS products, though, data types can differ. The following sections contain information on how DBMS data types map to ArcGIS data types.
Access data types
When you create a feature class or table in ArcGIS, there are 11 different data types available for each column. These types are mapped to Access data types in the following table.
| ArcGIS data type | Access data type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
OBJECTID | Long Integer | OBJECTID is an AutoNumber field. |
SHORT INTEGER | Integer | |
LONG INTEGER | Long Integer | |
FLOAT | Single | |
DOUBLE | Double | |
TEXT | Text | |
DATE | Date/Time | |
BLOB | OLE Object* | |
GUID | Number | Replication ID, duplicates allowed |
GEOMETRY | OLE Object* | |
RASTER | Long Integer |
*Object linking and embedding (OLE) objects are objects created in other applications that are linked or embedded in Access. In this case, binary large object (BLOB) and GEOMETRY data types don't exist in Access, so the object is in ArcGIS and linked to the Access database.
Data types in database management systems and Enterprise geodatabases
When you create a feature class or table in a database or enterprise geodatabase using ArcGIS, there are 11 different data types available for each column. Which types are used depends on to which DBMS type you connect. See Data types supported in ArcGIS for information on how ArcGIS data types map to DBMS data types.