Re: c.d.theory glossary 0.0.4 [NULL]

[NULL]
The insanity bit. No! The humility marker. mu: The absence of an answer to a question which requires an answer.

/adj./

Attributes to something the absence of values.

    Ex: "The *null* set is the empty set, often represented by {}."

/n. colloq./

A noted appearance of the absence of values.

    Ex: "This table contains *nulls*."

Confusion arises when people use terms like "null value", a paradox to some, a contradictio in terminis to others.

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.

In databases traditionally NULL is used and opposed. Here is some opposition:
How to distinguish between "missing" and "empty"?

Lestrade: "Is there anything to which you wish

           to draw my attention?"

Holmes:   "To the curious incident of the dog in the night."
Lestrade: "The dog did nothing in the night."
Holmes:   "That was the curious incident."

If you want to go into this, please first search for mu NIL void NULL undef, 2VL 3VL.

"It isn't the things we don't know that give us trouble. It's the things we know that ain't so." - Will Rogers Received on Thu Sep 30 2004 - 22:28:32 CEST