What is the different b/w float and decimal type in sql server?

Question

Hi Can i store a percentage value as float or decimal? What is the difference?

Vulpes · Answer

Float is used for floating point numbers and the internal format used means that it's not necessarily exact. Decimal on the other hand is for fixed precision numbers and is exact. For percentages I'd use decimal.

Vulpes · Answer

If you declare it as decimal(5 2) to accommodate percentages up to 100.00 do you still get the error? If you do how are you making the conversion?

Nethra R S · Answer

@Vulpes As you said i am saving percentage values and the datatype declared for that is decimal(32) but when a user enters 10.3 for example it gives an error saying cannot convert varchar to decimal

Pravin More · Answer

Hi Nethra float data type is known as approximate data types.Approximate numeric data types do not store the exact values specified for many numbers they store an extremely close approximation of the value.do not use float when exact numeric behavior is required such as in financial applications so decimal is perfect. Thanks Pravin.