Re: Case insensitive queries

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003, damorgan_at_x.washington.edu wrote:
> Galen Boyer wrote:

>> Sure, the data is case-sensitive, but it would be damn nice
>> for the database to allow the developer the ability to turn it
>> off or on based on query needs.

How then should they get a case-insensitive query to execute? Would you want them to do it the old-fashioned way..., and how old-fashioned should it be?

> A properly designed application should force valid case for
> inserts and updates.

I would ask you to read my posting again. I'm not asking the database to somehow turn everything to a single case for storage purposes or fix my very poorly designed DML strategies for me. I'm talking about case-insensitive queries. I am forced, because of a limitation in Oracle, to either store a single-cased version of all queriable columns used in searches, or I must explicitly ask Oracle to function index a particular single-cased version and then use that function in my search queries.

I would rather just be able to tell Oracle, hey, in this query, ignore case and, btw, don't lose performance.

> Covering up for a bad design or bad implementation is not a
> good policy.

I just wish you would stop your bully-pulpit answers.

> It is only one step removed from making all searches using the
> SOUNDEX function or making all columns VARCHAR2(4000).
>
> So is it a limitation? Absolutely. Is it one I am glad Oracle
> has remedied? No! Efforts put elsewhere would have been far
> more valuable.

What efforts are those and more valuable to whom?

-- 
Galen Boyer