Re: Outer Join Bug (was It's Incredible)

On May 3, 6:01pm, Malcolm Weallans wrote: > Subject: Re: Outer Join Bug (was It's Incredible) > Jonathan Leffler has pontificated on the OUTER JOIN situation. Malcolm I'm surpised at you Jonathan never pontificates how could you suggest such a thing!! > >From what he has said the INFORMIX implementation of OUTER JOIN presedes > SQL-92. To change the INFORMIX product to match SQL-92 would probably > mean that all applications implemented before the change would need to be > completely retested, as the OUTER JOIN handling would need to be > significantly changed. > > The problem we all face is this:- > > Do we put pressure on INFORMIX to change OUTER JOIN code to match SQL-92 > - and accept the hit on program development that the changed > implementation will cause or do we remain with the tried and tested > current implementation? > > Malcolm Weallans >-- End of excerpt from Malcolm Weallans I have a more immediate question does the current Informix syntax of an outer join overlap the syntax of an ANSI outer join? If it doesn't Informix can go ahead an implement the new syntax and standard without in anyway affecting the current implementation. If it does overlap we probably need a method of switching between syntax. This would require an environment variable (Isn't there already an ANSI flag?) and possibly a 'Set outer to ansi' statement. In all the discussions that I have been following no one has shown us what the SQL 92 standard actually requires. Unfortunately I don't have a reference to hand either. Anyone offering? This suggests that not many people are writing to SQL 92 standards yet. I would also suggest that if you really need the SQL 92 results you can probably get them using a version of the temporary table solution published by Jonathan. I doubt the performance is much different from an outer join either! I'm not sure what the fuss is about considering that this relatively simple workaround is available. I would say that we need Informix to move forward to the SQL 92 standard and future ones as fast as possible. At the same time we must have compatibility with previous versions. I don't see that these need to be mutually exclusive. The fact that Informix doesn't yet meet the 92 standard cannot be described as a bug especially when it does meet its own documented standard results. Perhaps they should have implemented the ANSI outer joins by now. Despite this and considering everything else they have implemented recently I'm sort of glad there are a few things that haven't changed!! Cheers - Jim -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Gordon DHL Airways Inc. jgordon@us.dhl.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- My opinions are my own. They may vary with time but they remain mine!