RE: Database design, replacing null by a default value

From: Miller, Jay <JayMiller_at_TDWaterhouse.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 10:34:23 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.004F8C24.20021031103423@fatcity.com>

That really depends on what the real data looks like since it has to be absolutely distinct.

For example if all your numeric data is positive then a value of -1 easily identifies the "null" data. If -1 is a valid value then this doesn't work.

How about 'null' for the varchar2 column?

Jay Miller

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 9:59 AM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

Hi,

We're in the process of writing functionnal specs for a system which is like a DW but instead of a DW the staging area push the data in Siebel.

If we replaced null by something else.
What would you choose :

   for a varchar field ?
   for a numeric field ?

Someone has proposed blanks for the character field but I'm not comfortable with that.

TIA

---

Stéphane Paquette
DBA Oracle et DB2, consultant entrepôt de données Oracle and DB2 DBA, datawarehouse consultant stephane_paquette_at_yahoo.com

---

Lèche-vitrine ou lèche-écran ?
magasinage.yahoo.ca
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Author: Miller, Jay
  INET: JayMiller_at_TDWaterhouse.com

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