Re: Why are empty VARCHAR2S always NULL?

From: Paul Brewer <paul_at_paul.brewers.org.uk>
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 19:17:53 +0100
Message-ID: <3d6e7124_1@mk-nntp-1.news.uk.worldonline.com>

"Richard Foote" <Richard.Foote_at_bigpond.com> wrote in message news:3D642FEA.A3E1F1D8_at_bigpond.com...
<snip>
> Regarding the empty string argument, again I think confusion is caused
> because other databases and other languages treat defined and undefined
> variables as being different. However, an empty string (i.e.. with
> nothing in it) logically doesn't have a value and hence again logically
> is treated in my tiny weeny view quite reasonably in Oracle.
>

<snip>

PMFJI.
There are actually a number of distinct issues in this thread, but I'd just like to point out that IIRC, Oracle have been warning us since 7.3 that at some time in the future nulls will be treated differently to empty strings.

Cheers,
Paul Received on Thu Aug 29 2002 - 13:17:53 CDT