Feature Request: NaN -Infinity Infinity support for Decimal/Numeric types

[daniarleagk]

NaN and infinity values are useful when working with arbitrary precision numbers and financial data.
Similar to postgres decimal/numeric types.

[soerenwolfers]

Duckdb doesn't have the arbitrary precision DECIMAL type afaik

[soerenwolfers]

In particular, DECIMAL defaults to width 18 and scale 3

[daniarleagk]

Thanks! Although they are not of arbitrary precision, it is still useful to have these special values while working with financial data.

[soerenwolfers]

What I mean is: PostgreSQL offers the special values only for columns of type "unconstrained DECIMAL" and they seem to believe there is a good reason for that limitation ("Note that an infinity can only be stored in an unconstrained numeric column, because it notionally exceeds any finite precision limit.") so rather than duckdb creating something that PostgreSQL doesn't have, it's probably better to copy what PostgreSQL does entirely, including the data type itself.

[daniarleagk]

I agree, you are right about '-Infinity' and 'Infinity' ( 'NaN' value on contrary is supported for both decimal types (precise and unconstrained), 'NaN' is currently most useful for me :-) ).