Hello Thomas, I installed the whole PostgreSQL-bundle, including int8, out of the box and now I'm trying to use the int8-datatype. It looks as if I can get a value in the table but not in a 'normal' way out of it. I tried your testscript itest.sql and below you see it's output. Another (?) problem: when I put a unquoted value into an int8 (and also a float8), I get the following message: pgsql=> insert into qtest values(19990511161616); NOTICE: Integer input '19990511161616' is out of range; promoted to float INSERT 148320 1 pgsql=> select float8(q1) from qtest; float8 -------------------- 123 123 4.56789012345679e+15 4.56789012345679e+15 4.56789012345679e+15 19990511161616 (6 rows) Maybe you know a solution to this problems? At the moment I use the float8-datatype for large numbers, but, well: when there is an int8 why not use it... Thank you, Jelle. pgsql=> select version(); version ---------------------------------------------------- PostgreSQL 6.4.2 on mips-sgi-irix6.2, compiled by cc create table qtest(q1 int8, q2 int8); CREATE insert into qtest values('123','456'); INSERT 148298 1 insert into qtest values('123','4567890123456789'); INSERT 148299 1 insert into qtest values('4567890123456789','123'); INSERT 148300 1 insert into qtest values('4567890123456789','4567890123456789'); INSERT 148301 1 insert into qtest values('4567890123456789','-4567890123456789'); INSERT 148302 1 select * from qtest; q1| q2 -------------------+------------------- 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 (5 rows) select q1, -q1 as minus from qtest; q1| minus -------------------+------------------- 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 (5 rows) select q1, q2, q1 + q2 as plus from qtest; q1| q2| plus -------------------+-------------------+------------------- 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 (5 rows) select q1, q2, q1 - q2 as minus from qtest; q1| q2| minus -------------------+-------------------+------------------- 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 (5 rows) select q1, q2, q1 * q2 as multiply from qtest where q1 < 1000 or (q2 > 0 and q2 < 1000); q1| q2| multiply -------------------+-------------------+------------------- 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 (3 rows) --select q1, q2, q1 * q2 as multiply qtest -- where q1 < '1000'::int8 or (q2 > '0'::int8 and q2 < '1000'::int8); select q1, q2, q1 / q2 as divide from qtest; q1| q2| divide -------------------+-------------------+------------------- 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 (5 rows) select q1, float8(q1) from qtest; q1|float8 -------------------+-------------------- 9223091508918288644|123 9223091508918288644|123 9223091508918288644|4.56789012345679e+15 9223091508918288644|4.56789012345679e+15 9223091508918288644|4.56789012345679e+15 (5 rows) select q2, float8(q2) from qtest; q2|float8 -------------------+--------------------- 9223091508918288644|456 9223091508918288644|4.56789012345679e+15 9223091508918288644|123 9223091508918288644|4.56789012345679e+15 9223091508918288644|-4.56789012345679e+15 (5 rows) select q1, int8(float8(q1)) from qtest; q1| int8 -------------------+------------------- 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 9223091508918288644|9223091508918288644 (5 rows) -------------------------------------------------------------- NEROC Publishing Solutions Jelle Ruttenberg De Run 1131, 5503 LB Veldhoven Phone : +31-(0)40-2586641 P.O.Box 133, 5500 AC Veldhoven Fax : +31-(0)40-2541893 The Netherlands E-mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------