sum(population) under Sybase

> Just to add in here...Oracle:
> 
> SQL> select sum(population) from nations;
> 
> SUM(POPULATION)
> ---------------
>      2771277000
> 
> SQL> 

Here is Sybase.  Note, I declared the population field as int.

1> SELECT * FROM t1
2> go
 name                 population  
 -------------------- ----------- 
 RUSSIA                 281170000 
 INDIA                  766140000 
 CHINA                 1072220000 
 JAPAN                  129947000 
 CANADA                  25610000 
 U.S.A.                 242080000 
 MEXICO                  81160000 
 BRAZIL                 141450000 
 ARGENTINA               31500000 
 
(9 rows affected)
1> select sum(population) from t1
2> go
Arithmetic overflow occurred.

But with population defined as numeric(20,0)

1> select * from t2
2> go
 name                 population              
 -------------------- ----------------------- 
 JAPAN                              129947000 
 CANADA                              25610000 
 U.S.A.                             242080000 
 MEXICO                              81160000 
 BRAZIL                             141450000 
 ARGENTINA                           31500000 
 INDIA                              766140000 
 CHINA                             1072220000 
 RUSSIA                             281170000 
 
(9 rows affected)
1> select sum(population) from t2
2> go
                                           
 ----------------------------------------- 
                                2771277000 


I sort of like this behavior.  This way, a valid sum over fields of
type X can always be stored in a field of type X.

Ocie Mitchell