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NULL values in a database

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by Mark W. Kaelin

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Tell us what you think about the wasNULL method, as featured in the August 19th Java e-newsletter. Have you experienced this subtle bug that's hidden in the ResultSet class?

4 replies

by eamonn_casey

wasNull is terrible!

1. wasNull is AFTER you read the data, so you must place the eventual assignment after the check for wasNull to avoid NULL being assigned.
2. I think that this is the only wasXXX() function in the SDK. Try finding it when all of the other functions are called isXXX()

by java guru

1) I prefer to not allow nulls into the DB.
2) use isnull() in the DB
3) solve in the middle tier via (if, wasnull, etc).

I think solving it in the middle tier is the least desireable. Having null values floating around can only cause trouble. I usually design them away in the beginning.

by dave_rabone

any of his books ... they tend to have rehashes of the same articles. "Relational Database Writings"*

by bayard-generationjava

1) I'd love a db without null in there. Lots of NOT NULLs
are nice, but legacy databases or differing opinions can
mean otherwise.

2) I hate to use database functions as I've never found
them very independent. Nicer to have a reusable db
layer with wasNulls.

3) Agreed that this is a pain, I'd go 1, then 3 then 2.
Unless it's specific code, in which case 1, 2, 3.

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