Re: c.d.theory glossary - NULL

I have a simple (and incomplete) definition. This post is less grandiose than my usual linguistic fare, but perhaps more helpful.

*null*

/adj./

1. Attributes to something the absence of value. Ex: "The *null* set is the empty set, often represented by {}."

/n. colloq./

1. An noted appearance of the absence of value. Ex: "This table contains *nulls*."

Notes on common usage:

• Confusion arises when people use terms like "null value", which is quite a paradox.
• Confusion arises due to the fact that nullness (the absence of value) is often represented on computers by the number 0. (Obviously, 0 is not null.)
• In some contexts, 'null' and 'nil' mean the same thing; in others, they do not.

--Senny Received on Sat Apr 24 2004 - 14:33:57 CDT