It isn't religious it is a standard. = and is null are different things.
is null is a perfectly good ansi standard sql. I've used it for years on
such databases as Ingress, SQLBase, XDB, DB2, Oracle, and I thinkeven SQL
Server.
Jim
--
Replace part of the email address: kennedy-down_with_spammers_at_attbi.com
with family. Remove the negative part, keep the minus sign. You can figure
it out.
"Scott Mattes" <Scott_at_TheMattesFamily.ws> wrote in message
news:otIFa.3627$Jw6.2577332_at_news1.news.adelphia.net...
> See, didn't I tell you it was a religous type thing!
>
> Look, Hue-Mon, what care we for semantics? If'n I say 'where field = null'
> should produce a result of all records where that field is null; I
shouldn't
> have to have special syntax of 'where field is null'.
>
> Save us from purists and bean counters!
>
>
>
>
> "Billy Verreynne" <vslabs_at_onwe.co.za> wrote in message
> news:bc7au0$7k7$1_at_ctb-nnrp2.saix.net...
> > Scott Mattes wrote:
> >
> > > Null is a religous experience, so don't even try going there! Null is
> > > 'undefined' and guess what, Null does not equal itself (this seems
silly
> > > to me, oops, here come the flames, since undefined is certainly the
same
> > > as undefined, but religion sometimes doesn't make sense from the
> outside.
> >
> > Beg to differ. And I will go there. SQL trekking through Oracle with
> shields
> > on full, phasers charged and photon torpedos loaded.
> >
> > I do not think it is at all confusing. Unless you happen to live in
Choas
> > Space. But then that would mean SQL is not a language for database
> > communication, but is instead a frothy pink substance that is created by
> > sound of opening the door of a motorcycle.
> >
> > You have a VARCHAR2 column called x.
> >
> > You do the following:
> > INSERT INTO foo ( x ) VALUES ( '' )
> >
> > Q. What is stored in column x?
> > A. ASCII/UniCode characters. Internally that is represented by a number,
> > aka the ordinal value of the character.
> >
> > Q. What is the ordinal value of the character in between the quotes
> > that you are attempting to insert?
> > A. Undefined. There is no character value in between the quotes. Thus
> > there can not be an ordinal value for it.
> >
> > Q. How does Oracle store a value that is not given, i.e. the "nothing
> > character" that is specified by that VALUES ( '' ) clause?
> > A. Exactly what you told it to store - nothing. Nada. No value. Zip.
> > Zilch. Niks. I.E. a friggen NULL.
> >
> > Q. Is NULL a value?
> > A. No it is not. The above Q&A has just proven that NULL is NOT a value.
> > NULL is not CHAR(255) or CHAR(13) or CHAR(0). CHAR(0) is still a
> > character _with_ a value - an ordinal value of zero!
> > You did not say:
> > INSERT INTO foo ( x ) VALUES ( CHAR(0) )
> > You said:
> > INSERT INTO foo ( x ) VALUES ( '' )
> > Which is why:
> > x = NULL will always be FALSE as that is a value comparison and
NULL
> > is not a value
> > Solution - use boolean algebra to see if the column has a value, or
> > whether the column has not a value, i.e.
> > x IS NULL?
> >
> > Friggen straight forward and simple. Don't know why some wants to make a
> > warp core breach out of it.
> >
> > The Ferengi mentality of some.. trying to pawn of nulls as values
> <snorting
> > in disgust>
> >
> > --
> > Billy
>
>
Received on Thu Jun 12 2003 - 00:35:46 CDT
