---
title: "Numeric Literals | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "01/19/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: connectivity
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: connectivity
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "data types [ODBC], numeric data types"
  - "numeric data type [ODBC], literals"
  - "numeric literals [ODBC]"
  - "literals [ODBC], numeric"
ms.assetid: 9dc23656-61e1-4b62-a07f-64ab716e45d2
author: David-Engel
ms.author: v-daenge
---
# Numeric Literals
Numeric literals are used when numeric data values are stored in character strings. For conversion of numeric SQL data to an SQL_C_CHAR string, or conversion of numeric C data to an SQL_CHAR or SQL_VARCHAR string, numeric literal syntax is used to specify what is stored in the target. For conversion of a numeric stored as a SQL_C_CHAR string to numeric SQL data, or a numeric stored as a SQL_CHAR string to numeric C data, this syntax is used to validate what is stored in the source.  
  
 Numeric literals should conform to the syntax defined in the section [Numeric Literal Syntax](../../../odbc/reference/appendixes/numeric-literal-syntax.md) in Appendix C: SQL Grammar.  
  
 This section contains the following topics.  
  
-   [Rules for Conversions](../../../odbc/reference/appendixes/rules-for-conversions.md)  
  
-   [Overriding Default Precision and Scale for Numeric Data Types](../../../odbc/reference/appendixes/overriding-default-precision-and-scale-for-numeric-data-types.md)