# PostgreSQL min_scale() Function

> The min_scale() function in Postgres returns the minimum precision or minimum number of decimal places that are necessary to accurately/completely express the …

PostgreSQL provides a mathematical function that gives us the minimum number of decimal places required in order to express/represent a specific number accurately and precisely. This function is named as the **min_scale()** function. The following section of this blog will explain the use and working of the min_scale() function through proper examples and use cases.

##  **How to Use min_scale() Function in PostgreSQL?**

The **min_scale()** function in PostgreSQL returns the minimum precision or the minimum number of decimal places the specified number possesses to represent itself accurately. The basic syntax of the **min_scale()** function is:
    
    
    min_scale(num)

● The number is provided to the function as an argument.

● This number should be of **Numeric data type**.

● The function will always return an **integer data type** value, representing the minimum number of decimal places used to accurately express the number.

If the number provided is an **integer** , the output will be **0**. If that number has a **fractional part,** the output will be the number of digits after the point without the trailing zeros.

The below examples will more clearly illustrate the working and usage of the **min_scale()** function.

 **Example 1: Understanding the min_scale() Function**

Consider the following query to see how the **min_scale()** function works.
    
    
    SELECT
      min_scale(0) AS "min precision:0",
      min_scale(5.0) AS "min precision:5.0",
      min_scale(20.48) AS "min precision:20.48",
      min_scale(-11.5006) AS "min precision:-11.5006",
      min_scale(17.799*2) AS "min precision";

The query will return the minimum precision/ minimum number of decimal places that are necessary to express the accurate number. The output for the above query is:

We can see that the integer values are returned for the respective values. The simple rule is that:

● The **min_scale()** function simply gives the minimum number of decimal places after the decimal points except the trailing zeros.

● If the number is a floating point number(lines 12-15), it will follow the same rule.

● If the given numeric value is an integer(0 in the above query), the **min_scale()** function will give 0 as there is no decimal place after the decimal point.

The outputs in the above image follow the same rule.

###  **Example 2: Using the min_scale() Function on Table’s Data**

Consider the following “circles” table.

We can find the minimum precision of the “circumference“ column by implementing the min_scale() function on it. The query for this is written as:
    
    
    SELECT *, min_scale(circumference) AS "min precision in   circumf"
     FROM circles;

This query will return the number of decimal places that are necessary to express the respective circumference completely and accurately like this:

To demonstrate the above table, consider the circumference on the first row. After counting, we will be able to observe that the **6.28318530717959** has **14** decimal places after the decimal point (and no trailing zero) so the **min_scale()** function has returned 14.

Let’s say, the number was 6.283185307179590000, the **min_scale()** function would still have returned 14 because no matter how many trailing zeros are there, they won’t count. This is how the **min_scale()** function works in PostgreSQL.

###  **Conclusion**

The **min_scale()** function in Postgres returns the minimum precision or minimum number of decimal places that are necessary to accurately/completely express the number. The **min_scale()** function gets the numeric value as input and gives an integer. We have assessed the basic workings of the **min_scale()** function along with their implementation in examples.

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