Re: Examples of SQL anomalies?

On Jun 30, 5:54 pm, Marshall <marshall.spi..._at_gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jun 30, 10:31 am, "Brian Selzer" <br..._at_selzer-software.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Well, the OP wanted examples of SQL anomalies, and you've just confirmed a
> > big one.
>
> > If you have a bag that can contain peaches, but doesn't, then the answer to
> > the question "How many peaches are in the bag?" is clearly zero. If you are
> > asked by the accountant, "How much were we billed by AT&T this month?" but
> > AT&T didn't send a bill, then the answer is clearly zero. That SQL's COUNT
> > and SUM are something other than these common sense usages exemplifies their
> > anomalous nature.
>
> [I meant to say this in my other post, but]
>
> Brian gets it exactly right here.
>
> Marshall

I'm not so sure about the AT&T bill. Consider the question may be badly phrased:
"How much were we billed by AT&T this month?" Is the amount being sought the amount on the bill received this month? or the amount for this month's services? If the question is asked July 1 and we haven't got the bill in the mail yet, the answer must be "I don't know." And who is the "we"? Are there multiple entities involved? (multiple businesses owned by one parent company with separate phone accounts/ bills? or maybe a home business and personal home phone account both shown on one bill?)

So even in real life NULL (aka "I don't know") happens to be the correct answer to some questions. It is not as clean cut as you and Brian would like.
  Ed Received on Wed Jul 02 2008 - 15:15:12 CEST