---
title: "Platform-specific data types"
source: dbt Core Documentation
source_url: https://github.com/dbt-labs/docs.getdbt.com
licence: Apache-2.0
domain: data-and-analysis
subdomain: dbt-docs
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

Unit tests are designed to test for the expected _values_, not for the data types themselves. dbt takes the value you provide and attempts to cast it to the data type as inferred from the input and output models. 

How you specify input and expected values in your unit test YAML definitions are largely consistent across data warehouses, with some variation for more complex data types. The following are platform-specific data types:

<WHCode>


```yml

unit_tests:
  - name: test_my_data_types
    model: fct_data_types
    given:
      - input: ref('stg_data_types')
        rows:
         - int_field: 1
           float_field: 2.0
           str_field: my_string
           str_escaped_field: "my,cool'string"
           date_field: 2020-01-02
           timestamp_field: 2013-11-03 00:00:00-0
           timestamptz_field: 2013-11-03 00:00:00-0
           number_field: 3
           variant_field: 3
           geometry_field: POINT(1820.12 890.56)
           geography_field: POINT(-122.35 37.55)
           object_field: {'Alberta':'Edmonton','Manitoba':'Winnipeg'}
           str_array_field: ['a','b','c']
           int_array_field: [1, 2, 3]
           binary_field: 19E1FFDCCB6CDEE788BF631C1C4905D1

```


```yml

unit_tests:
  - name: test_my_data_types
    model: fct_data_types
    given:
      - input: ref('stg_data_types')
        rows:
         - int_field: 1
           float_field: 2.0
           str_field: my_string
           str_escaped_field: "my,cool'string"
           date_field: 2020-01-02
           timestamp_field: 2013-11-03 00:00:00-0
           timestamptz_field: 2013-11-03 00:00:00-0
           bigint_field: 1
           geography_field: 'st_geogpoint(75, 45)'
           json_field: {"name": "Cooper", "forname": "Alice"}
           str_array_field: ['a','b','c']
           int_array_field: [1, 2, 3]
           date_array_field: ['2020-01-01']
           struct_field: 'struct("Isha" as name, 22 as age)'
           struct_of_struct_field: 'struct(struct(1 as id, "blue" as color) as my_struct)'
           struct_array_field: ['struct(st_geogpoint(75, 45) as my_point)', 'struct(st_geogpoint(75, 35) as my_point)']
           # Make sure to include all the fields in a BigQuery `struct` within the unit test.
           # It's not currently possible to use only a subset of columns in a 'struct'


```


```yml

unit_tests:
  - name: test_my_data_types
    model: fct_data_types
    given:
      - input: ref('stg_data_types')
        rows:
         - int_field: 1
           float_field: 2.0
           str_field: my_string
           str_escaped_field: "my,cool'string"
           date_field: 2020-01-02
           timestamp_field: 2013-11-03 00:00:00-0
           timestamptz_field: 2013-11-03 00:00:00-0
           json_field: '{"bar": "baz", "balance": 7.77, "active": false}'

```

Currently, the `array` is not supported.


```yml

unit_tests:
  - name: test_my_data_types
    model: fct_data_types
    given:
      - input: ref('stg_data_types')
        rows:
         - int_field: 1
           float_field: 2.0
           str_field: my_string
           str_escaped_field: "my,cool'string"
           bool_field: true
           date_field: 2020-01-02
           timestamp_field: 2013-11-03 00:00:00-0
           timestamptz_field: 2013-11-03 00:00:00-0
           int_array_field: 'array(1, 2, 3)'
           map_field: 'map("10", "t", "15", "f", "20", NULL)'
           named_struct_field: 'named_struct("a", 1, "b", 2, "c", 3)'


```


```yml

unit_tests:
  - name: test_my_data_types
    model: fct_data_types
    given:
      - input: ref('stg_data_types')
        rows:
         - int_field: 1
           float_field: 2.0
           numeric_field: 1
           str_field: my_string
           str_escaped_field: "my,cool'string"
           bool_field: true
           date_field: 2020-01-02
           timestamp_field: 2013-11-03 00:00:00-0
           timestamptz_field: 2013-11-03 00:00:00-0
           json_field: '{"bar": "baz", "balance": 7.77, "active": false}'

```

Currently, the `array` is not supported.


</WHCode>
