Thread: select avg() and sum() returns false value

Christoph Lorenz (Christoph_Lorenz@gmx.de) reports a bug with a severity of 2
The lower the number the more severe it is.

Short Description
select avg() and sum() returns false value

Long Description
I don't know, if it's my fault, but when I sum up several thousands
of positive entries in a column (the column is an int2 field), I get a negative(!) value.

Sample Code
CREATE TABLE recording (
  [...]
  time int2 DEFAULT NULL,
  [...]
);



select time from recording returns only positive values, like time
------
  277
  159
  192
  183
  184
  178
  180
  207
  243
  194
  203
  182
  277
  159
  192
  183
  184
  178
  180
  207
  243
  194
  203
  182
  229
  229


and when I sum it up, the following happens (remember, there are really no negative values in my database):

mmusic2=# select sum(time) from recording;
  sum
--------
 -12491
(1 row)



No file was uploaded with this report

pgsql-bugs@postgresql.org writes:
> I don't know, if it's my fault, but when I sum up several thousands
> of positive entries in a column (the column is an int2 field), I get a negative(!) value.

Use Postgres 7.1.

            regards, tom lane