Re: So what's null then if it's not nothing?

From: FrankHamersley <FrankHamersleyZat_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 10:44:14 GMT
Message-ID: <2KXgf.1686$ea6.1270@news-server.bigpond.net.au>

paul c wrote:
> Frank Hamersley wrote:

>> JOG wrote:
>>> michael_at_preece.net wrote:
>>>> "A value of the Boolean data type is either true or false. The truth
>>>> value of unknown is sometimes represented by the null value."
>>>>
>>>> Dodgy or what?! It would be better to use a large cumbersome robot
>>>> waving its arms about saying "does not compute" than to use null for
>>>> this.
>>>>
>>>> Mike.
>>>
>>> I for one _really_ hope some database corporate representatives are
>>> reading this thread, and take this feature into consideration for their
>>> future releases.
>>
>> Errr...pardon me for being dense...but exactly what is the "feature" 
>> we so desperately need?
>>
>> Cheers, Frank.

>
> I was trying to exercise restraint, but I guess I've gotten sucked in
> along with some smart people. puts me in good company, i suppose ...
>
> i don't understand why such a question ends up with so much space on the
> "databases.theory" newsgroup. is it because there is no such group as
> "comp.databases.practice.etc"?

...or is it because none of the various theories don't cut it (yet)?

Not one of them seem to have universal appeal when the "solution" angle is considered. Most of the various pundits energy seems directed at taking out the "bad" aspects of any competing proposals. Natural selection at work perhaps?

Cheers Frank. Received on Wed Nov 23 2005 - 04:44:14 CST