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Re: Oracle NULL vs '' revisited

From: Martin T. <0xCDCDCDCD_at_gmx.at>
Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2007 12:53:16 +0200
Message-ID: <46c6d00d$0$1345$834e42db@reader.greatnowhere.com>


David Portas wrote:
> "Thomas Kellerer" <FJIFALSDGVAF_at_spammotel.com> wrote in message
> news:5im5abF3p468kU1_at_mid.individual.net...

>>> I don't think that there is a similar "empty" concept for dates.
>> That's my point. Character seems to be the only data were everybody 
>> requires the distinction between "nothing" and "empty" but nobody has ever 
>> requested this distinction for dates or numbers.
>>

>
> The question of whether we choose to refer to some value as "empty" is
> entirely beside the point in my opinion. The issue is that the domain of
> string values supported by Oracle is not equivalent to the domain of string
> values supported by any other DBMS or programming language that I know of.
> Null is not a value. A string consisting of zero characters IS a value
> anywhere except Oracle.
>
> (...)

Allow me to second that.
We could debate without end on the philosophical merits of "empty" but fact is that any programming language I have ever worked with makes a distinction btw. NULL and '' string. Since every DBMS ultimately has to interface with another programming language, the way Oracle treats strings is bound to generate problems in some cases. (not to mention the confusion it always generates)

cheers,
Martin Received on Sat Aug 18 2007 - 05:53:16 CDT

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