String data
Alteryx has four data types for strings:String, WString, V_String, V_WString.
In Prophecy, all strings can be handled with the SQL data type STRING.
| Alteryx | Prophecy (Databricks SQL) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
String / V_String | STRING | Databricks STRING is UTF-8 variable-length. While Alteryx distinguishes between fixed and variable storage, STRING covers both use cases. |
WString / V_WString | STRING | Databricks strings are Unicode by default. While Alteryx uses a separate wide-string type, STRING is effectively wide-string and has no byte limit. |
Numeric data
Alteryx has seven numeric types::Byte, Int16, Int32, Int64, Fixed Decimal, Float, Double. Most of these correspod directly to a Prophecy SQL data type.
| Alteryx | Prophecy (Databricks SQL) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Byte | TINYINT | Alteryx Byte (0–255) becomes signed TINYINT (-128–127). Cast to SMALLINT if you need a higher positive range. |
Int16 | SMALLINT | Two-byte signed integer. |
Int32 | INT | Four-byte signed integer. |
Int64 | BIGINT | Eight-byte signed integer. |
Fixed Decimal | DECIMAL(p,s) | Defaults to DECIMAL with no parameters. You can specify precision and scale explicitly by editing an expression in code view. |
Float | FLOAT | 32-bit single precision (≈7 digits). |
Double | DOUBLE | 64-bit double precision (≈15–16 digits). |
DateTime data
Alteryx has three DateTime data types:Date, Time, DateTime.
| Alteryx | Prophecy (Databricks SQL) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Date | DATE | Stores calendar date (YYYY-MM-DD) with no time zone. |
Time | STRING or derived TIMESTAMP | Databricks lacks a standalone TIME type; represent as string or combine with date. |
DateTime | TIMESTAMP | Represents precise time to the microsecond. You can also add time zones. See Databricks TIMESTAMP page for more details. |
Precision and range differences
- Databricks supports wider date ranges (year 0001–9999).
- Alteryx cannot process dates earlier than 1400.
- Casting from strings must match expected format (such as
yyyy-MM-dd).
Boolean data
Alteryx type: Bool| Alteryx | Prophecy (Databricks SQL) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Bool | BOOLEAN | True/False literal. Alteryx’s “0 = False / non-zero = True” convention converts directly to SQL boolean values. |
Quick reference
| Alteryx | Prophecy (Databricks SQL) |
|---|---|
| String / V_String | STRING |
| WString / V_WString | STRING |
| Byte | TINYINT |
| Int16 | SMALLINT |
| Int32 | INT |
| Int64 | BIGINT |
| Fixed Decimal | DECIMAL(p,s) |
| Float | FLOAT |
| Double | DOUBLE |
| Date | DATE |
| Time | STRING or TIMESTAMP |
| DateTime | TIMESTAMP |
| Bool | BOOLEAN |
Known differences & recommendations
- Fixed vs. variable strings: consolidated to
STRING. - Time-only values: represent as
STRINGor normalize toTIMESTAMP. - Date ranges: Databricks supports dates prior to 1400—verify downstream logic.