Re: Numbers

Bob Pawley <rjpawley@shaw.ca> writes:
> My initial tables have columns containing values such as 12 feet.

> I want to perform calculations.

> Is there a method in Postgresql to separate the 12 from the unit feet or
> am I forced to make two columns to separate the feet from the 12?

Are you storing '12 feet' as a string?  That seems awfully unstructured
for data that you'd like to do calculations on.

I seem to recall that someone had come up with a datatype that would
store numbers with units attached, which seems like what you want here.
Check the PG list archives, and/or poke around on pgfoundry and gborg.

            regards, tom lane