What are aggregate and scalar functions?

The Scalar Numeric Function operates on numeric values (i.e. INTEGER, SMALLINT, DECIMAL, FLOAT, DOUBLE and NUMERIC data types). The PointBase database supports the following standard Numeric Functions:

• Multiplication
• Division
• Addition
• Subtraction

The numeric functions are evaluated in the following order. Numeric Functions within parentheses are evaluated from the innermost set of parentheses, following the same rules of precedence:

1. Multiplication (*) and division (/) from left to right
2. Addition (+) and subtraction (-) from left to right

Numeric Functions are calculated as floating point numbers with a precision of 17 significant digits (and a rounding error). However, if you use these functions when inserting or updating data the accuracy is dependent up on the data type of the column for which the data is intended.