Mapping CLR Parameter Data
Applies to: 
SQL Server
The following table lists Microsoft SQL Server data types, their equivalents in the common language runtime (CLR) for SQL Server in the System.Data.SqlTypes namespace, and their native CLR equivalents in the Microsoft .NET Framework.
| SQL Server data type | Type (in System.Data.SqlTypes or Microsoft.SqlServer.Types) | CLR data type (.NET Framework) |
|---|---|---|
| bigint | SqlInt64 | Int64, Nullable<Int64> |
| binary | SqlBytes, SqlBinary | Byte[] |
| bit | SqlBoolean | Boolean, Nullable<Boolean> |
| char | None | None |
| cursor | None | None |
| date | SqlDateTime | DateTime, Nullable<DateTime> |
| datetime | SqlDateTime | DateTime, Nullable<DateTime> |
| datetime2 | None | DateTime, Nullable<DateTime> |
| DATETIMEOFFSET | None | DateTimeOffset, Nullable<DateTimeOffset> |
| decimal | SqlDecimal | Decimal, Nullable<Decimal> |
| float | SqlDouble | Double, Nullable<Double> |
| geography | SqlGeography SqlGeography is defined in Microsoft.SqlServer.Types.dll, which is installed with SQL Server and can be downloaded from the SQL Server feature pack. |
None |
| geometry | SqlGeometry SqlGeometry is defined in Microsoft.SqlServer.Types.dll, which is installed with SQL Server and can be downloaded from the SQL Server feature pack. |
None |
| hierarchyid | SqlHierarchyId SqlHierarchyId is defined in Microsoft.SqlServer.Types.dll, which is installed with SQL Server and can be downloaded from the SQL Server feature pack. |
None |
| image | None | None |
| int | SqlInt32 | Int32, Nullable<Int32> |
| money | SqlMoney | Decimal, Nullable<Decimal> |
| nchar | SqlChars, SqlString | String, Char[] |
| ntext | None | None |
| numeric | SqlDecimal | Decimal, Nullable<Decimal> |
| nvarchar | SqlChars, SqlString SQLChars is a better match for data transfer and access, and SQLString is a better match for performing String operations. |
String, Char[] |
| nvarchar(1), nchar(1) | SqlChars, SqlString | Char, String, Char[], Nullable<char> |
| real | SqlSingle (the range of SqlSingle, however, is larger than real) | Single, Nullable<Single> |
| rowversion | None | Byte[] |
| smallint | SqlInt16 | Int16, Nullable<Int16> |
| smallmoney | SqlMoney | Decimal, Nullable<Decimal> |
| sql_variant | None | Object |
| table | None | None |
| text | None | None |
| time | None | TimeSpan, Nullable<TimeSpan> |
| timestamp | None | None |
| tinyint | SqlByte | Byte, Nullable<Byte> |
| uniqueidentifier | SqlGuid | Guid, Nullable<Guid> |
| User-defined type(UDT) | None | The same class that is bound to the user-defined type in the same assembly or a dependent assembly. |
| varbinary | SqlBytes, SqlBinary | Byte[] |
| varbinary(1), binary(1) | SqlBytes, SqlBinary | byte, Byte[], Nullable<byte> |
| varchar | None | None |
| xml | SqlXml | None |
Automatic Data Type Conversion with Out Parameters
A CLR method can return information to the calling code or program by marking an input parameter with the out modifier (Microsoft Visual C#) or <Out()> ByRef (Microsoft Visual Basic) If the input parameter is a CLR data type in the System.Data.SqlTypes namespace, and the calling program specifies its equivalent SQL Server data type as the input parameter, a type conversion occurs automatically when the CLR method returns the data type.
For example, the following CLR stored procedure has an input parameter of SqlInt32 CLR data type that is marked with out (C#) or <Out()> ByRef (Visual Basic):
[Microsoft.SqlServer.Server.SqlProcedure]
public static void PriceSum(out SqlInt32 value)
{ ... }
\<Microsoft.SqlServer.Server.SqlProcedure> _
Public Shared Sub PriceSum( \<Out()> ByRef value As SqlInt32)
...
End Sub
After the assembly is built and created in the database, the stored procedure is created in SQL Server with the following Transact-SQL, which specifies a SQL Server data type of int as an OUTPUT parameter:
CREATE PROCEDURE PriceSum (@sum int OUTPUT)
AS EXTERNAL NAME TestStoredProc.StoredProcedures.PriceSum
When the CLR stored procedure is called, the SqlInt32 data type is automatically converted to an int data type, and returned to the calling program.
Not all CLR data types can be automatically converted to their equivalent SQL Server data types through an out parameter, however. The following table lists these exceptions.
| CLR data type (SQL Server) | SQL Server data type |
|---|---|
| Decimal | smallmoney |
| SqlMoney | smallmoney |
| Decimal | money |
| DateTime | smalldatetime |
| SQLDateTime | smalldatetime |
Change History
| Updated content |
|---|
| Added SqlGeography, SqlGeometry, and SqlHierarchyId types to the mapping table. |