Re: data cleansing question

Do you have mainframe programs that will be brought over to use this mainframe data? If so, they will likely have problems with nulls. If there will only be new programs accessing this data, then it sounds fine.

Will there by any statistical work on these columns? Averages, for example, will be different with zeroes versus nulls.

Marc Perkowitz
Senior Consultant
TWJ Consulting, LLP

847-256-8866 x15
www.twjconsulting.com

• Original Message ----- To: "Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L" <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 5:43 PM

> For those of you who have had to deal with data cleansing -
>
> I am working on importing mainframe data into Oracle. This unglamorous
job
> involves validating (and sometimes compensating for) what is bad data in
> Oracle's eyes but not on the mainframe - crazy crap like a date =
> 22/22/2022. I also find that the mainframe programs are padding null
fields
> with 0's.
>
> I wonder how many of you take the route of removing the zeros and storing
> null in that field? Some of the important numeric fields I think I'll
leave
> that way (past_due_amt, etc.) but several others in this 218-field table
are
> full of zeroes. My gut feel is to null out the insignificant 0'd out
fields
> - that I have pushed to the bottom of the table - to not only save space,
> but for data integrity. 0 in 75 fields means nothing to me or to anyone
> else, as far as I can tell.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Thanks everyone
>
> Lisa Koivu
> Oracle Database Hormone Dispenser.
> Fairfield Resorts, Inc.
> 954-935-4117
>
> --
> Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
> --
> Author: Koivu, Lisa
> INET: lisa.koivu_at_efairfield.com
>
> Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051
> San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message
> to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in
> the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L
> (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may
> also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).
>

-- 
Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
-- 
Author: Marc Perkowitz
  INET: mperkowitz_at_twjconsulting.com

Fat City Network Services    -- (858) 538-5051  FAX: (858) 538-5051
San Diego, California        -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists
--------------------------------------------------------------------
To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message
to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in
the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L
(or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from).  You may
also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).