Directus precision numbers should be outputed as string

[zguig52]

Hello,

I am currently migrating from this un-maintened project https://github.com/ChappIO/directus-extension-models and found yours, which looks really promising.

I have started to compare outputted types and I have the same remark as here: ChappIO/directus-extension-models#17

When a field is decimal, it is outputed as string:

Discussion on this topic can be found here:
directus/directus#23740

[bryantgillespie]

So to summarize, you're saying we currently return number for the Decimal fieldtypes and it should be string?

[zguig52]

Yes, totally, sorry for too long discussion over this.

Standard float is outputed as number, but decimal with precision is outputed as string.

[bryantgillespie]

Do you happen to be using MySQL / MariaDB?

[zguig52]

Yes, this output is string typed for MariaDB since directus V11 (https://directus.io/docs/releases/breaking-changes/version-11#version-1100):

If you're using MySQL/MariaDB, please note that:
[...]
Values of type "Decimal" are now returned as a string instead of a number, which ensures that the precision is preserved.

It seems also that it was already like this for PostgreSQL (directus/directus#23740 (comment)):

Directus will have different responses depending on its storage backend?

Yes, as Directus does not control how the databases return results for different datatypes and I think Postgres for example already returns decimals as strings as well.

[bryantgillespie]

Right that's what I thought - so would have to introduce some logic to check the DB via the API (which may or may not be possible depending on the token) or add some type of flag for the type of DB.

[zguig52]

To make it simple, it could be an input parameter of the command, like:
-d, --database DBTYPE, with default DBTYPE being ...

For what kind of backend is this decimal type still outputed as number? As it seems that it could lead to problems as highlighted a Directus member (directus/directus#23740 (comment)):

Not sending them as strings and losing important precision due to floating point imprecisions (not just in JS, but also in JSON) is even worse, consider for example a currency exchange rate that has to be very precise.

If we would like to be also very precise and support older releases, Directus version should also be checked as this MySQL / MariaDB output change came in v11.