Failed to add the field to the table/feature class. Invalid column definition [Invalid column definition [ArcMap.DBO.states.error]]

Error Message

When a double/float data type field is added within a SQL Server/Oracle database feature class, the following error is returned:

Error:
Add Field Failed
Failed to add the field to the table/feature class. Invalid column definition [Invalid column definition[ArcMap.DBO.states.error]]

Cause

The error is returned in response to the addition of a double/float data type field with only the precision value populated.

Solution or Workaround

Specify the precision and the scale values when creating a double/float data type; both are required as they are dependent on each other. If both values are specified as '0', a binary type field is created by default if the underlying database supports binary data type.