# Comparison of int/long and float/double types **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [October 24, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/comparison-of-int-long-and-float-double-types/20420 "2014-10-24T13:22:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tim\_S](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tim_s/32/958_2.png) [@Tim\_S](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Tim_S)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/comparison-of-int-long-and-float-double-types/20420/1 "2014-10-24T13:22:44Z")
I get the impression that using the 'long' type instead of 'integer' would use more disk space and degrade search performance (similary for double instead of float), but there's nothing in the documentation to back this impression up. There must be an advantage to using integer (if you can) because otherwise it wouldn't exist. It just doesn't say what the advantage is. Can someone confirm? Even better does anyone have any stats on what difference it would make? Thanks. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![jprante](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jprante/32/44941_2.png) [@jprante](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jprante)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/comparison-of-int-long-and-float-double-types/20420/2 "2014-10-24T13:55:12Z")
Lucene only knows how to index text strings. For numeric types, they are stored as tries. Tries work on variable length. So only the API is different to convert integer or long to tries. Tries are the basis for numeric range searches. It is a myth that long take more disk space than ints in an inverted index like Lucene. Both long and integer (numeric types) take a bit more space than text strings, but for large indices, this does not add up at all, it is in the noise. For field caches/filters, and doc values, the difference of integer and long is more important. But there are other aspects like field cardinality which determine the overall storage volume required. Jörg On Fri, Oct 24, 2014 at 3:22 PM, Tim S [timstibbs@gmail.com](mailto:timstibbs@gmail.com) wrote: > I get the impression that using the 'long' type instead of 'integer' would > use more disk space and degrade search performance (similary for double > instead of float), but there's nothing in the documentation to back this > impression up. > > There must be an advantage to using integer (if you can) because otherwise > it wouldn't exist. It just doesn't say what the advantage is. > > Can someone confirm? Even better does anyone have any stats on what > difference it would make? > > Thanks. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "elasticsearch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). > To view this discussion on the web visit > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com) > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com?utm\_medium=email&utm\_source=footer](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer) > . > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAKdsXoEKAVEToUTJBea4\_YCPr3u-\_5OiFPrQvqB0rUroV82ynQ%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAKdsXoEKAVEToUTJBea4_YCPr3u-_5OiFPrQvqB0rUroV82ynQ%40mail.gmail.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_S](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tim_s/32/958_2.png) [@Tim\_S](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Tim_S)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/comparison-of-int-long-and-float-double-types/20420/3 "2014-10-24T14:48:35Z")
So let's assume the cardinality is the same. Let's assume I have no text, I only index numeric fields. If I've got a range of data, that would all fit within the bounds of an integer, is there any reason not to index it as a long? Are there any down sides? It sounds like you're saying that there isn't? On Friday, October 24, 2014 2:55:24 PM UTC+1, Jörg Prante wrote: > Lucene only knows how to index text strings. For numeric types, they are > stored as tries. Tries work on variable length. So only the API is > different to convert integer or long to tries. Tries are the basis for > numeric range searches. > > It is a myth that long take more disk space than ints in an inverted index > like Lucene. Both long and integer (numeric types) take a bit more space > than text strings, but for large indices, this does not add up at all, it > is in the noise. > > For field caches/filters, and doc values, the difference of integer and > long is more important. But there are other aspects like field cardinality > which determine the overall storage volume required. > > Jörg > > On Fri, Oct 24, 2014 at 3:22 PM, Tim S \<[tims...@gmail.com](mailto:tims...@gmail.com) \\> > wrote: > > > I get the impression that using the 'long' type instead of 'integer' > > would use more disk space and degrade search performance (similary for > > double instead of float), but there's nothing in the documentation to back > > this impression up. > > > > There must be an advantage to using integer (if you can) because > > otherwise it wouldn't exist. It just doesn't say what the advantage is. > > > > Can someone confirm? Even better does anyone have any stats on what > > difference it would make? > > > > Thanks. > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "elasticsearch" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > email to [elasticsearc...@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearc...@googlegroups.com) \. > > To view this discussion on the web visit > > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com) > > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com?utm\_medium=email&utm\_source=footer](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer) > > . > > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/eff095af-0544-4feb-b09f-fa5c0158a4f5%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/eff095af-0544-4feb-b09f-fa5c0158a4f5%40googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![jprante](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jprante/32/44941_2.png) [@jprante](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jprante)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/comparison-of-int-long-and-float-double-types/20420/4 "2014-10-24T15:04:10Z")
It depends what you do with ints. Your question was about disk storage. Ints are much faster when they are loaded into cache: they save 50% memory, they can be used as index in array for sorting, loading/storing by CPU instruction takes only one cycle etc. Jörg On Fri, Oct 24, 2014 at 4:48 PM, Tim S [timstibbs@gmail.com](mailto:timstibbs@gmail.com) wrote: > So let's assume the cardinality is the same. Let's assume I have no text, > I only index numeric fields. > > If I've got a range of data, that would all fit within the bounds of an > integer, is there any reason not to index it as a long? Are there any down > sides? It sounds like you're saying that there isn't? > > On Friday, October 24, 2014 2:55:24 PM UTC+1, Jörg Prante wrote: > > > Lucene only knows how to index text strings. For numeric types, they are > > stored as tries. Tries work on variable length. So only the API is > > different to convert integer or long to tries. Tries are the basis for > > numeric range searches. > > > > It is a myth that long take more disk space than ints in an inverted > > index like Lucene. Both long and integer (numeric types) take a bit more > > space than text strings, but for large indices, this does not add up at > > all, it is in the noise. > > > > For field caches/filters, and doc values, the difference of integer and > > long is more important. But there are other aspects like field cardinality > > which determine the overall storage volume required. > > > > Jörg > > > > On Fri, Oct 24, 2014 at 3:22 PM, Tim S [tims...@gmail.com](mailto:tims...@gmail.com) wrote: > > > > > I get the impression that using the 'long' type instead of 'integer' > > > would use more disk space and degrade search performance (similary for > > > double instead of float), but there's nothing in the documentation to back > > > this impression up. > > > > > > There must be an advantage to using integer (if you can) because > > > otherwise it wouldn't exist. It just doesn't say what the advantage is. > > > > > > Can someone confirm? Even better does anyone have any stats on what > > > difference it would make? > > > > > > Thanks. > > > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > Groups "elasticsearch" group. > > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send > > > an email to [elasticsearc...@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearc...@googlegroups.com). > > > To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/](https://groups.google.com/d/) > > > msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764% > > > [40googlegroups.com](http://40googlegroups.com) > > > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com?utm\_medium=email&utm\_source=footer](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/ff73f7bc-0578-44ea-803f-39fe723b5764%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer) > > > . > > > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "elasticsearch" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). > > To view this discussion on the web visit > > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/eff095af-0544-4feb-b09f-fa5c0158a4f5%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/eff095af-0544-4feb-b09f-fa5c0158a4f5%40googlegroups.com) > > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/eff095af-0544-4feb-b09f-fa5c0158a4f5%40googlegroups.com?utm\_medium=email&utm\_source=footer](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/eff095af-0544-4feb-b09f-fa5c0158a4f5%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer) > > . > > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAKdsXoHbG\_FCTNJ2hyuReLejw4YoJYQV0NOB8%2BkQR-qWgR2Vhw%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAKdsXoHbG_FCTNJ2hyuReLejw4YoJYQV0NOB8%2BkQR-qWgR2Vhw%40mail.gmail.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 12:53am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/comparison-of-int-long-and-float-double-types/20420/5 "2017-07-06T00:53:58Z")