Re: All hail Neo!
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 12:34:14 GMT
Message-ID: <aT24g.17454$vy1.7351_at_news-server.bigpond.net.au>
David Cressey wrote:
> "Marshall Spight" <marshall.spight_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
>> David Cressey wrote:
>>> "Marshall Spight" <marshall.spight_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
[..]
> I was thinking of something somewhat less subtle. If the average function
> is asked to compute the average of a column of four values and one null,
> there are three ways it could be implemented:
>
> A) report an exception
> B) add up the four values, and divide by four.
> C) add up the four values, and divide by five.
>
> I think we can all agree that alternative C is not useful. Some people
> prefer A. I prefer B.
> Both Excel and SQL, to my knowledge, implement choice B. That's what I was
> referring to, when I suggested doing the experiment with avg.
Record my vote for A in the narrow sense of aggregate functions as I can construct B and C quite simply. Of course as I showed elsewhere I can also construct A quite easily too - which only leaves the greater good as a distinguishing factor and this is where A wins through.
Cheers, Frank. Received on Thu Apr 27 2006 - 14:34:14 CEST