If an integer column is used for the values in range 1 to 99999, the best suitable datatype is . . . . . . . .

This question is about choosing the most suitable data type for a column that will store numbers between 1 and 99999 in a MySQL database. Let's break down the options:
1. Data Types:
* INT: A standard integer data type. * SMALLINT: A smaller integer data type that takes up less storage space. * MEDIUMINT: An integer data type larger than SMALLINT but smaller than INT.
2. Signed and Unsigned:
* SIGNED: Allows both positive and negative numbers. * UNSIGNED: Allows only positive numbers and zero.
3. Range:
* SMALLINT SIGNED: -32,768 to 32,767. * SMALLINT UNSIGNED: 0 to 65,535. * MEDIUMINT SIGNED: -8,388,608 to 8,388,607. * MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED: 0 to 16,777,215.
4. Our Requirement:
We need to store numbers from 1 to 99999. Since these are all positive numbers, we can use an unsigned data type.
5. Choosing the Correct Answer:
* Option A: MEDIUMINT SIGNED: Not suitable because it allows negative numbers and is too large. * Option B: MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED: Suitable because it allows positive numbers up to 16,777,215 which is more than enough for our requirement. * Option C: SMALLINT SIGNED: Not suitable because it allows negative numbers. * Option D: SMALLINT UNSIGNED: Suitable because it allows positive numbers up to 65,535, which is more than enough for our requirement.
6. The Best Choice:
Both Option B (MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED) and Option D (SMALLINT UNSIGNED) are valid choices. However, Option D (SMALLINT UNSIGNED) is the best choice because it uses less storage space than MEDIUMINT.
Therefore, the best suitable datatype for this scenario is SMALLINT UNSIGNED.