MySQL Bugs: #34562: CAST does not accept standard-sql numeric types

Bug #34562	CAST does not accept standard-sql numeric types
Submitted:	14 Feb 2008 19:55	Modified:	22 Feb 2008 19:53
Reporter:	Ken Johanson
Status:	Verified
Category:	Server: Types	Severity:	S3 (Non-critical)
Version:	5.1.22-rc-log	OS:	Any
Assigned to:	Alexey Kopytov	Target Version:
Triage:	Triaged: D5 (Feature request)

Description:
The CAST function does not accept ansi/iso standard numeric-types (cast from char):

SELECT CAST('123' AS INTEGER) (spec defines as implict signed) -> Error
SELECT CAST('123' AS SIGNED INTEGER) -> 123 (signed-ness not in sql spec)

In addition to INTEGER, SMALLINT and BIGINT do not work.

How to repeat:
> SELECT CAST('123' AS INTEGER);

Thank you for a problem report. As current set of types supported is explicitely described
in the manual, http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/cast-functions.html#function_cast,
(whatever the reason is for having it) this is a reasonable and high-priority feature
request, but not a bug, formally.

I must plea for changing this back to a bug. I feel that sql non-conformace is very much a
bug, especially on a *essential* and basic function like CAST, and because there is no
portable way to return these standard data-types in Mysql right now. All the other
database implement this cast corrrectly.

While I agree that this is functionality we would like 
MySQL to support, the fact remains that -- since CAST 
currently has limited support by intent (as evidenced
in the Reference Manual) -- this is a feature request 
and not a bug.

"limited support by intent" for a base-level SQL standard??? And one if implemented that
should cause no negative impact (breaking apps etc)? 

Not only did you change from D4 (Minor) to D5 (Feature request), you also changed the
target version from 6.0 to none??? This is fodder so many mailing lists.