TO_BIN

Convert an integer to its binary (base-2) string representation.

Category: numericReturns: STRINGDialect: PostgreSql

Syntax

TO_BIN(n)

Description

## Overview Returns the binary (base-2) string representation of the given integer. TO_BIN is the inspection primitive for bitmask columns, feature flags, and any integer-valued field whose individual bits carry meaning. The output has no '0b' prefix and no leading zeros (except for the input 0, which returns '0'). TO_BIN is complementary to TO_OCT (base 8) and TO_HEX-style functions (base 16) where available. Use it whenever you need to see the exact bit pattern of a value. ## Behavior - Accepts INTEGER or BIGINT input. - Returns a STRING without leading zeros and without a base prefix. - Returns NULL if the argument is NULL. - TO_BIN(0) returns the string '0'. - Negative values are represented in two's complement at the full width of the input type (32 bits for INTEGER, 64 bits for BIGINT). ## Numeric precision - TO_BIN is exact: every bit of the input is preserved in the output. - The length of the output is variable (log2(|n|) + 1 for positive n, full width for negative n). ## Compatibility - Matches the PostgreSQL TO_BIN function. - Complementary to TO_OCT and to engine-specific TO_HEX or HEX functions.

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
`n`		Specifies the integer value to convert. Accepts INTEGER or BIGINT types. Negative values are represented using two's complement notation with the full width of the input type.

Examples

-- Binary of 10
SELECT TO_BIN(10);  -- '1010'

-- Binary of 0
SELECT TO_BIN(0);  -- '0'

-- Binary of 255 (all bits set in a byte)
SELECT TO_BIN(255);  -- '11111111'

-- Binary of 1
SELECT TO_BIN(1);  -- '1'

-- Binary of a large value
SELECT TO_BIN(1024);  -- '10000000000'

-- NULL propagation
SELECT TO_BIN(NULL);  -- NULL

Pitfalls

TO_BIN of a negative number uses two's complement at the input type's full width. TO_BIN(-1) on a BIGINT returns a 64-character string of '1' bits, not '-1'. Cast to the intended type width explicitly when mixing INTEGER and BIGINT.
The output has no leading zeros, so it is not fixed-width. If you need zero-padded output for alignment, use LPAD(TO_BIN(n), 32, '0') or similar.
TO_BIN does not accept DECIMAL or DOUBLE inputs. Cast to INT with care; non-integer values raise an error or truncate depending on the engine.
TO_BIN of very large BIGINT values produces long strings (up to 64 characters). Be mindful of column widths when storing the result.
TO_BIN is not the inverse of binary literals like B'1010'. Some engines accept B'...' literals but require a CAST to return a proper INT.