Re: ORACLE and NULL

From: John Darrah <john.darrah_at_usa.net>
Date: 24 Jul 2001 12:57:15 -0700
Message-ID: <4af5a619.0107241157.56c57a40@posting.google.com>

"Andy Hallam" <ahm_at_exel.co.uk> wrote in message news:<9jjcdk$38l$1_at_reader-00.news.insnet.cw.net>...
> I am currently porting our C++ applications from INFORMIX & SQL SERVER to
> ORACLE.
>
> Besides countless other 'bodges' I have had to get round for ORACLE (like
> cannot even bind a UNICODE string as an input parameter through the ORACLE
> ODBC driver) I have just come across the fact that ORACLE does not know the
> difference between NULL and an empty string (a string of zero length)!!!.
>
> Now I have been using INFORMIX/SQL SERVER/DB2 for longer than I care to
> remember but ORACLE not knowing what NULL is ?, it's quite unbelievable.
>
> This will probably mean that our port to ORACLE will be shelved.
>
> How the reputedly "biggest RDBMS" has got away with this is beyond me.
>
> Andy.

"Now I have just come across the fact that ORACLE does not know the difference between NULL and an empty string (a string of zero length)!!!"

Sounds like you started coding your port without bothering to learn about the database to which you were porting. You didn't do your homework and got burned. Next time try starting with a gap analysis before coding. Received on Tue Jul 24 2001 - 14:57:15 CDT