---
description: >
  Find here a brief overview of the predefined types shipped with CDS.
---


# Core / Built-in Types


The following table lists the built-in types in CDS, and their most common mapping to
ANSI SQL types, when deployed to a relational database (concrete mappings to specific databases may differ):

| CDS Type               | Remarks                                                                | ANSI SQL       |
|------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|
| `UUID`                 | [RFC 4122](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4122)-compliant UUIDs        | _NVARCHAR(36)_ |
| `Boolean`              | Values: `true`, `false`, `null`, `0`, `1`                              | _BOOLEAN_      |
| `Integer`              | Same as `Int32` by default                                             | _INTEGER_      |
| `Int16`                | Signed 16-bit integer, range *[ -2<sup>15</sup> ... +2<sup>15</sup> )* | _SMALLINT_     |
| `Int32`                | Signed 32-bit integer, range *[ -2<sup>31</sup> ... +2<sup>31</sup> )* | _INTEGER_      |
| `Int64`                | Signed 64-bit integer, range *[ -2<sup>63</sup> ... +2<sup>63</sup> )* | _BIGINT_       |
| `UInt8`                | Unsigned 8-bit integer, range *[ 0 ... 255 ]*                          | _TINYINT_      |
| `Decimal`(`p`,`s`)     | Decimal with precision `p` and scale `s`                               | _DECIMAL_      |
| `Double`               | Floating point with binary mantissa                                    | _DOUBLE_       |
| `Date`                 | for example, `2022-12-31`                                                      | _DATE_         |
| `Time`                 | for example, `23:59:59`                                                        | _TIME_         |
| `DateTime`             | _sec_ precision                                                        | _TIMESTAMP_    |
| `Timestamp`            | _µs_ precision, with up to 7 fractional digits                         | _TIMESTAMP_    |
| `String` (`length`)    | Default *length*: 255; on HANA: 5000                                   | _NVARCHAR_     |
| `Binary` (`length`)    | Default *length*: 255; on HANA: 5000                                   | _VARBINARY_    |
| `Vector` (`dimension`) | for Vector Embeddings [-> see notes below](#vector-embeddings)         | ( _DB-specific_ ) |
| `LargeBinary`          | Unlimited binary data, usually streamed at runtime                     | _BLOB_         |
| `LargeString`          | Unlimited textual data, usually streamed at runtime                    | _NCLOB_        |
| `Map`                  | Mapped to *NCLOB* for HANA.                                            | *JSON* type    |

> [!info] Default String Lengths
> Lengths can be omitted, in which case default lengths are used. While this is usual in initial phases of a project, productive apps should always use explicitly defined length. The respective default lengths are configurable through the config options
> <Config> cds.cdsc.defaultStringLength = 255 </Config> and <br/>
> <Config> cds.cdsc.defaultBinaryLength = 255 </Config>.

###### Vector Embeddings
> [!info] Vector Embeddings
> The `Vector` type is used for vector embeddings, which are a way to represent data (like text, images, etc.) as high-dimensional vectors. Requires SAP HANA Cloud QRC 1/2024, or later, [`@sap/cds` v9.9+](/releases/2026/apr26), and [CAP Java v4.9+](/releases/2026/apr26) to use with H2 or SQLite.

> [!tip] Use Attachments instead of LargeBinary
> Consider using _Attachments_, as provided through [the CAP Attachments plugins](../plugins/index#attachments), instead of `LargeBinary` types for user-generated content like documents, images, etc.

See also:

[Additional Reuse Types and Aspects by `@sap/cds/common`](common) {.learn-more}

[Mapping to OData EDM types](../guides/protocols/odata#type-mapping) {.learn-more}

[HANA-native Data Types](../guides/databases/hana-native#hana-types){.learn-more}