Nulls, dates, database independence - was Useful Books / C J Date

From: Jonathan Lewis <jonathan_at_jlcomp.demon.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 09:07:20 +0100
Message-ID: <011801c4448a$d02137b0$7102a8c0@Primary>

Isn't it how the positive marketing phrase

    "database independent"
turns into the practical implementation:

    "works badly everywhere"

Using character strings for dates is one way of helping Oracle's cost based optimisation to go wrong - and I would expect it to be a generic problem

Using daft values instead of nulls is another way of helping Oracle's cost based optimisation to go wrong - and I would expect it to be a generic problem

Regards

Jonathan Lewis

http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk

http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk/faq/ind_faq.html The Co-operative Oracle Users' FAQ

http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk/seminar.html Optimising Oracle Seminar - schedule updated May 1st

• Original Message ----- From: <jo_holvoet_at_amis.com> To: <oracle-l_at_freelists.org> Cc: <oracle-l_at_freelists.org>; <oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org> Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 8:27 AM Subject: RE: Useful Oracle books - C.J. Date theory vs. practicality

: SAP doesn't use nulls. For char fields they typically use a single space,
: for dates (which they store in chars) they use '00000000', etc.etc.
: And yes, it is every bit as ugly and horrendous as you describe ... I
: assume in their case it is partly a legacy issue and partly a database
: independence issue ?
:
: mvg/regards
:
: Jo
:

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Received on Fri May 28 2004 - 03:04:13 CDT