Variable has NULL in IF-statement , but does insert a valid value

[Quoted] [Quoted] I have a problem with a trigger in Oracle 8i. The var 'StatusKey' is the problem. In the first UPDATE statement I set the LAST_STATUS_KEY to a value from a variable : 'StatusKey'. This variable I select in the first SELECT-Statement. Then I update table TRANSACTIONS with this variable. This works fine, it updates table TRANSACTIONS as expected. So, you might think that var StatusKey has a value. However, it never passes the IF-statement at the bottom. If I write down 'IF StatusKey IS NULL' it does go into the IF-statement. So, that means that the var StatusKey is NULL. How can that be since it correctly updates the table TRANSACTIONS with this variable?

Somebody has a logical answer on this un-logical issue? Thanks, Roy

CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER DELETE_CUSTOMER_LOG AFTER DELETE ON STATUSDATE
FOR EACH ROW
DECLARE StatusKey VARCHAR2(5);

        ThisTaKey VARCHAR2(5);
BEGIN
  SELECT MAX(TO_NUMBER(:NEW.SD_TA_STATUS_KEY)) INTO StatusKey   FROM SYS.DUAL;   SELECT :NEW.SD_TA_KEY INTO ThisTaKey
  FROM SYS.DUAL;   UPDATE TRANSACTIONS
  SET LAST_STATUS_KEY = StatusKey
  WHERE TA_KEY = ThisTaKey;

  IF (StatusKey = '1' ) THEN
    DELETE FROM CUSTOMER_LOG
    WHERE LOG_TA_KEY = ThisTaKey; */
  END IF;
END; Received on Mon Jul 22 2002 - 12:09:47 CEST