Re: SQL*Plus Copy Command Question

matlar_at_rsv.svskt.se (Mats Larsson) wrote: (snipped earlier text just to respond to this one)
>
>This question often turns up here and I just can't figure out why
>anyone would like to store blanks in a column.
>Does anyone have a good answer ?
>I think that such a column should be altered to accept null values.
>Mats Larsson | Tel: +46 8 7647921
>RSV DataService | Fax: +46 8 983146
>171 94 Solna, Sweden | Email: matlar_at_rsv.svskt.se

If the users are exporting data so they can work with it in a spreadsheet (which ours will be doing a lot) they will also need columns that sometimes aren't filled out (spouse's name, for example). Sometimes they will be exporting into Lotus, sometimes to Excel, sometimes to Paradox or Access. Sometimes Access or Powerbuilder or Visual Basic will need to read the table directly. Sometimes it will be used by a Unix tool, sometimes on the Novell Lan, sometimes on an IBM mainframe and sometimes on a Tandy mainframe. It's a lot easier to store spaces in the column than "nulls" that mean one thing to one operating system or application and something else to another. brad stauf DOD# 1824
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r Received on Fri Sep 29 1995 - 00:00:00 CET