Storage resolution versus resolution used by functions

When data is collected from external data sources, it is very important to understand different accuracy and storage characteristics of the data. Coordinates of the geometry are stored in VARRAYS of numbers in Oracle Spatial. The Number data type in the Oracle database stores fixed and floating-point numbers. Numbers of virtually any magnitude can be stored, with up to 38 digits of precision. This means() that any coordinate in the Oracle Spatial format can have up to 38 digits in decimal representation. This level of precision is not usually required for many applications, so it is important to understand how the number of digits used for each coordinate affects the storage and performance of the spatial applications.

Precision and accuracy

Oracle Spatial also has the concept of tolerance for geometry data. As described in Chapter 1, Defining a Data Model for Spatial Data Storage, tolerance is used to distinguish unique coordinates in...