The type <type>integer</type> is the common choice, as it offers

the best balance between range, storage size, and performance.

The <type>smallint</type> type is generally only used if disk

space is at a premium. The <type>bigint</type> type should only

be used if the range of the <type>integer</type> type is insufficient,

because the latter is definitely faster.

</para>

<para>

On very minimal operating systems the <type>bigint</type> type

might not function correctly, because it relies on compiler support

for eight-byte integers. On such machines, <type>bigint</type>

acts the same as <type>integer</type>, but still takes up eight

bytes of storage. (We are not aware of any modern

platform where this is the case.)

space is at a premium. The <type>bigint</type> type is designed to be

used when the range of the <type>integer</type> type is insufficient.

</para>

<para>