Re: So what's null then if it's not nothing?
From: paul c <toledobythesea_at_oohay.ac>
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 01:15:26 GMT
Message-ID: <OoPgf.573753$1i.324130_at_pd7tw2no>
>
> (snip)
>
>
> (snip)
>
> Hi Mike,
>
> Pay more attention to what you read before you reply. I'll use caps to
> emphasize the words you seem to have missed:
>
> "A SPECIAL value that is used to indicate the absence of any DATA
> value."
> ...
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 01:15:26 GMT
Message-ID: <OoPgf.573753$1i.324130_at_pd7tw2no>
Hugo Kornelis wrote:
> On 20 Nov 2005 19:58:44 -0800, michael_at_preece.net wrote:
>
>
>>Julian M wrote: >>
>
> (snip)
>
>>>NULL in SQL can seem tricky, but it is simple enough if viewed in terms >>>of what is intended by the ANSI SQL92/99 standards. >>>See drafts: >>>http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~shadow/sql/sql1992.txt >>>http://www.ncb.ernet.in/education/modules/dbms/SQL99/ >>> >> >>Here's your problem... >> >>"A special value that is used to indicate the absence of any data >>value." >> >>That's it right there. It doesn't make sense. The special value has to >>be present doesn't it? So something is present. What is it? Is it an >>indication that whatever it is is absent? Nope. If something is present >>it's present. If it's absent it's absent.
>
> (snip)
>
> Hi Mike,
>
> Pay more attention to what you read before you reply. I'll use caps to
> emphasize the words you seem to have missed:
>
> "A SPECIAL value that is used to indicate the absence of any DATA
> value."
> ...
i love it. NULL is SPECIAL. i guess SPECIAL is NULL. you've put your finger on it. at first i thought SPECIAL was what Edward de Bono called a porridge word. now i realize that i was wrong, both of them are!
cheers,
p
Received on Wed Nov 23 2005 - 02:15:26 CET