From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
To: scott.ure@caseware.com
cc: pgsql-docs@lists.postgresql.org
Subject: Re: Documentation for numeric/decimal type does not say that
 precision can be specified without scale
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References: <152079109713.1223.8866810403339629903@wrigleys.postgresql.org>
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 <noreply@postgresql.org>
	message dated "Sun, 11 Mar 2018 17:58:17 -0000"
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Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2018 14:04:23 -0400
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=?utf-8?q?PG_Doc_comments_form?= <noreply@postgresql.org> writes:
> The documentation for the numeric/decimal type does not say that the
> precision parameter can be specified without specifying a scale, e.g.
> numeric(10) is valid.

Where are you looking exactly?  What I see under 8.1.2 is

    Both the maximum precision and the maximum scale of a numeric column
    can be configured. To declare a column of type numeric use the syntax:
    
        NUMERIC(precision, scale)

    The precision must be positive, the scale zero or
    positive. Alternatively:
    
        NUMERIC(precision)

    selects a scale of 0. Specifying:
    
        NUMERIC

    without any precision or scale creates a column in which numeric
    values of any precision and scale can be stored, up to the
    implementation limit on precision. A column of this kind will not
    coerce input values to any particular scale, whereas numeric columns
    with a declared scale will coerce input values to that scale. (The SQL
    standard requires a default scale of 0, i.e., coercion to integer
    precision. We find this a bit useless. If you're concerned about
    portability, always specify the precision and scale explicitly.)


			regards, tom lane