bit

Learning Focus

Use this lesson to understand PostgreSQL bit(n) and bit varying(n) and when they make sense.

bit Overview

• bit(n): fixed-length bit string
• bit varying(n): variable-length bit string

Typical use cases:

• compact bit flags when you truly need bitwise operations
• protocol/telemetry fields

Example

CREATE TABLE feature_masks (
  id bigint GENERATED ALWAYS AS IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY,
  flags bit(8) NOT NULL
);

Best Practices

• Prefer boolean columns for readability when flags are independent.
• Use bit only when bitwise operations or fixed masks are required.

What's Next

• Continue to String Data Types
• Or return to Numeric Data Types Overview