This simple value type is commonly used for financial calculations, which can preserve a significant number of fractional digits with no round-off error. Decimals are stored as 12-byte signed integers scaled by a variable power of 10. This means that a decimal data type can effectively hold 28 significant digits without losing any information. With a scale of 0 (no decimal places), the largest possible value is approximately 7.92x10²⁸. This type is available in C# through the decimal alias.

public struct Decimal : IFormattable, IComparable, IConvertible {
// Public Constructors
   public Decimal(double value);
   public Decimal(int value);
   public Decimal(int[ ] bits);
   public Decimal(int lo, int mid, int hi, bool isNegative, byte scale);
   public Decimal(long value);
   public Decimal(float value);
   public Decimal(uint value);
   public Decimal(ulong value);
// Public Static Fields
   public static readonly decimal MaxValue;           
// =79228162514264337593543950335
   public static readonly decimal MinusOne;           
// =-1
   public static readonly decimal MinValue;           
// =-79228162514264337593543950335
   public static readonly decimal One;   
// =1
   public static readonly decimal Zero;  
// =0
// Public Static Methods
   public static decimal Add(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static int Compare(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static decimal Divide(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static bool Equals(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static decimal Floor(decimal d);
   public static decimal FromOACurrency(long cy);
   public static int[ ] GetBits(decimal d);
   public static decimal Multiply(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static decimal Negate(decimal d);
   public static decimal Parse(string s);
   public static decimal Parse(string s, IFormatProvider provider);
   public static decimal Parse(string s, System.Globalization.NumberStyles style);
   public static decimal Parse(string s, System.Globalization.NumberStyles style, 
       IFormatProvider provider);
   public static decimal Remainder(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static decimal Round(decimal d, int decimals);
   public static decimal Subtract(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static byte ToByte(decimal value);
   public static double ToDouble(decimal d);
   public static short ToInt16(decimal value);
   public static int ToInt32(decimal d);
   public static long ToInt64(decimal d);
   public static long ToOACurrency(decimal value);
   public static sbyte ToSByte(decimal value);
   public static float ToSingle(decimal d);
   public static ushort ToUInt16(decimal value);
   public static uint ToUInt32(decimal d);
   public static ulong ToUInt64(decimal d);
   public static decimal Truncate(decimal d);
   public static decimal operator %(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static decimal operator ,*(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static decimal operator /(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static decimal operator--(decimal d);
   public static decimal operator -(decimal d);
   public static decimal operator -(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static decimal operator +(decimal d);
   public static decimal operator +(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static decimal operator ++(decimal d);
   public static bool operator !=(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static bool operator <(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static bool operator <=(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static bool operator =  =(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static bool operator >(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static bool operator >=(decimal d1, decimal d2);
   public static explicit operator byte(decimal value);
   public static explicit operator char(decimal value);
   public static explicit operator decimal(double value);
   public static explicit operator decimal(float value);
   public static explicit operator double(decimal value);
   public static explicit operator short(decimal value);
   public static explicit operator int(decimal value);
   public static explicit operator long(decimal value);
   public static explicit operator sbyte(decimal value);
   public static explicit operator float(decimal value);
   public static explicit operator ushort(decimal value);
   public static explicit operator uint(decimal value);
   public static explicit operator ulong(decimal value);
   public static implicit operator decimal(byte value);
   public static implicit operator decimal(char value);
   public static implicit operator decimal(short value);
   public static implicit operator decimal(int value);
   public static implicit operator decimal(long value);
   public static implicit operator decimal(sbyte value);
   public static implicit operator decimal(ushort value);
   public static implicit operator decimal(uint value);
   public static implicit operator decimal(ulong value);
// Public Instance Methods
   public int CompareTo(object value);  
// implements IComparable
   public override bool Equals(object value);        
// overrides ValueType
   public override int GetHashCode( );    
// overrides ValueType
   public TypeCode GetTypeCode( );        
// implements IConvertible
   public override string ToString( );    
// overrides ValueType
   public string ToString(IFormatProvider provider); 
// implements IConvertible
   public string ToString(string format);
   public string ToString(string format, IFormatProvider provider)
// implements IFormattable
}

Hierarchy

Object ValueType Decimal(IFormattable, IComparable, IConvertible)

Returned By

Convert.ToDecimal( ), IConvertible.ToDecimal( ), System.IO.BinaryReader.ReadDecimal( ), System.Runtime.InteropServices.CurrencyWrapper.WrappedObject, System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterConverter.ToDecimal( ), System.Runtime.Serialization.IFormatterConverter.ToDecimal( ), System.Runtime.Serialization.SerializationInfo.GetDecimal( ), System.Xml.XmlConvert.ToDecimal( )

Passed To

Multiple types