BIGINT error

[Sniffy]

Ok, so i am trying to insert columns into my database that can handle large numbers like 1 million. On the mySQL manual it says BIGINT can handle really large numbers.So on PHPMyAdmin I tried to insert those columns (level, exp, reqExp) into the "basicUserInfo" table to hold max values of 10000, 1000000, 1000000, into the table with the attribute of BIGINT. I get this error:SQL query: ALTER TABLE `basicUserInfo` ADD `level` BIGINT( 10000 ) NOT NULL AFTER `eyeColor` ,ADD `exp` BIGINT( 1000000 ) NOT NULL AFTER `level` ,ADD `reqExp` BIGINT( 1000000 ) NOT NULL AFTER `exp` MySQL said: #1074 - Column length too big for column 'level' (max = 255); use BLOB or TEXT instead

[reportingsjr]

Its all the same apparently, its just the length of the number. It cant be above BIGINT(255), you are trying to do BIGINT(1000000) and such, not do-able.

[Mr_CHISOL]

The number you give in the parantheses isn't the max. number, it's the number of digits that the number can contain (or the length of the number.Ex:if you set it to 3 the biggest number you can have is 999if you set it to 4 the biggest is 9999 etc.

[Sniffy]

Thanks guys.And one more SQL question.What is the difference between setting a column to NULL and NOT NULL?If it is a NULL column does that mean I can't store information?

[Mr_CHISOL]

NULL means that the field can be null, NOT NULL means that it can't be null...NULL > The field is allowed to be null/emptyNOT NULL > The field isn't allowed to be null/emptyIt wouldn't be very usefull to have fields that you can't store anything in, would it!?

[Sniffy]

Thanks, i just wasn't sure what a "NULL" column was.