### 11.1.5 Bit-Value Type - BIT

 The `BIT` data type is used to store bit values. A type of `BIT(*`M`*)` enables storage of *`M`*-bit values. *`M`* can range from 1 to 64.

 To specify bit values, `b'*`value`*'` notation can be used. *`value`* is a binary value written using zeros and ones. For example, `b'111'` and `b'10000000'` represent 7 and 128, respectively. See [Section 9.1.5, “Bit-Value Literals”](bit-value-literals.html).

 If you assign a value to a `BIT(*`M`*)` column that is less than *`M`* bits long, the value is padded on the left with zeros. For example, assigning a value of `b'101'` to a `BIT(6)` column is, in effect, the same as assigning `b'000101'`.

**NDB Cluster.**  The maximum combined size of all `BIT` columns used in a given [`NDB`](mysql-cluster.html) table must not exceed 4096 bits.

