Understanding the "Type" Column in MariaDB's Information Schema COLUMNS Table

• Function: This column stores the data type of each column within a table. Data type refers to the kind of information that column can hold.
• Data Types: MariaDB supports various data types like integers (INT), floating-point numbers (FLOAT), strings (VARCHAR), dates (DATE), and more.
• Information Source: You can't directly program this column. The data types are defined when the table is created using commands like CREATE TABLE. The "COLUMNS" table simply reflects those data types.

Here are some resources for further understanding:

SELECT TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME, DATA_TYPE
FROM information_schema.COLUMNS;

This code retrieves the table name, column name, and data type for all columns in the database.

Focusing on a specific table:

SELECT COLUMN_NAME, DATA_TYPE
FROM information_schema.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'your_table_name';

This code retrieves the column name and data type only for columns belonging to the table named "your_table_name".

Combining with SHOW COLUMNS:

SHOW COLUMNS FROM your_table_name;

This statement is similar to the previous example but uses the SHOW COLUMNS statement, offering a concise way to view details about columns in a specific table.

Additional information:

The "COLUMNS" table holds more data than just the "Type" (data type). You can explore other columns like:

• COLUMN_NAME: Name of the column.
• IS_NULLABLE: Indicates if the column allows null values.
• COLUMN_DEFAULT: Default value assigned if no value is explicitly provided during data insertion.

The DESCRIBE statement provides information about the structure of a table, including data types of each column.

DESCRIBE your_table_name;

This outputs details like column names and their corresponding data types.

Information Schema Views:

MariaDB offers information schema views like INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS and INFORMATION_SCHEMA.KEY_COLUMN_USAGE. These views provide details about columns and their usage within the database.

Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs):

Many database management tools offer visual interfaces to explore database structures. These tools often display data types alongside other column information.

Programming Languages with Database Access:

Programming languages like Python or Java can connect to MariaDB and retrieve information about databases. Libraries like SQLAlchemy or directly using MariaDB connectors allow querying the "COLUMNS" table or similar information schema structures.

Key Points:

• Modifying the "Type" column directly isn't possible as it reflects the table structure.
• The provided alternatives offer ways to access data type information or achieve similar goals.
• Tools and libraries can further enhance data exploration and manipulation based on data types.