Trailing Zeroes in Oracle Number Data Type

Oracle's Number data type does not store trailing zeroes by default. This can lead to inconsistencies when comparing values, such as between Java's BigDecimal and Oracle's NUMBER type.

The reason for this behavior is that trailing zeroes are not considered significant in numeric values. For example, 10 and 10.00 are treated as identical values internally within Oracle.

This can pose a challenge when working with numeric values that may require precision, such as when using BigDecimal in Java.

Solution: Formatting for Display

If trailing zeroes are required solely for display purposes, you can use formatting methods to add them when converting values to strings. For instance, using Java's System.out.printf() with the appropriate format specifier can insert leading or trailing zeroes as needed.

Setting Scale for Comparison

If the issue stems from differences in scale between Java's BigDecimal and Oracle's NUMBER, you can set the scale of the BigDecimal to match that of the Oracle NUMBER before comparing. This ensures that the comparison is performed on values with equivalent precision.

Conclusion

Oracle's Number data type does not store trailing zeroes to maintain data integrity and efficiency. However, you can handle this display-related matter through formatting or scale adjustment when necessary.