Re: NULLS & ACE

From: "Art S. Kagel" <kagel@bloomberg.net> > >If you guys don't watch it I'll have to start posting in Hebrew to >retaliate! As long as you don't use language like he's using!! :-) >Daryl Craig-Elliot wrote: > > > > Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > > > > > From: Daryl Craig-Elliot <daryl@tcrs.freeserve.co.uk> > > > > > > > >Sorry for the delay in replying. Time off for good behaviour!! > > > > > > Oh good. I was starting to get worried. > > > > > > > How nice. You must be slipping!! > > > > > > > > >Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > > > > > > > > > From: Daryl Craig-Elliot <daryl@tcrs.freeserve.co.uk> > > > > > > > > > > > >Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: Daryl Craig-Elliot <daryl@tcrs.freeserve.co.uk> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >This is my first posting to this group so... a little message >for > > > > > > > >Obnoxio (if you're reading) "Please be nice". > > > > > > > > > > > > > > No. > > > > > > > > > > > >I suppose I asked for that really. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Never having had the luxury of NULLs on my original system I >had to > > > > > > > >decide how best to utilise them. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Eh? You didn't have NULLs on your original system? > > > > > > > > > > > >Not as part of Informix, no. According to Jonathan Leffler they > > > >weren't > > > > > >implemented until > > > > > >ISQL 2.00. > > > > > > > > > > You had a pre-2.x ISQL? I'm impressed. > > > > > > > >I wouldn't be. Unfortunately, until recently, I have been stuck in a >time > > > >warp. > > > > > > Oh dear, hope you didn't ladder your fishnet stockings... (one from >the > > > vaults... 80) > > > > > > > No I managed to avoid it with a just a jump to the left and a step to >the right. > > > > > > > > >I am now struggling to grips with IDS and all that it entails. > > > > > > Been on training? Might be a useful shortcut, because it is one >helluva > > > jump. > > > > > > > No I haven't. I have always survived by RTFMing like mad. Whenever I >look at a > > course itinerary it either breaks down into 75% things I already know, >20% > > things I'll never use & 5% useful information, or, 5% I already know, >20% useful > > & 75% straight over my head!!! Maybe I've not been looking at the right >courses. > > But so far I seem to have been lucky. The system I am working on is very >small. > > With the exception of the NULL issue I have had to make very few changes >to > > achieve a working system. I must admit though, it is quite difficult >typing with > > ones fingers crossed!! 8O) > > > > > > > > > > > > >I settled on using NULL wherever poss. and disallowing blank > > > >entries on > > > > > > > >all char fields. They seemed > > > > > > > >to serve no useful purpose on our very small system and >besides it > > > >was > > > > > > > >as good as any tactic I could > > > > > > > >think of. I hoped it would standardise the creation of new >'forms' > > > >& > > > > > > > >'reports'. i.e. you know you only > > > > > > > >have to check for NULL and not empty string or indeed a >string full > > > >or > > > > > > > >partially full of spaces! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You know, it's amazing. They're all English words, but when >you > > > >string > > > > > >them > > > > > > > together like that, it doesn't make sense... > > > > > > > > > > > >I'm sorry maybe some punctuation was in order. Would you prefer >it > > > >Latin > > > > > >next > > > > > >time. > > > > > > > > > > Latin's cool -- caput tuum in ano est! > > > > > > > >Be nice!! How's you're Ancient Greek? Mine's a little shaky. I hope >this is > > > >correct; > > > > > > > > kai apo te'n procton! > > > > > > Podex perfectus est! > > > > > > > semper podices dictus. > > > > > > > > > >I have RTFMed and trawled the web but can find nothing about >this > > > > > > > >problem. Am I missing something or is > > > > > > > >my tactic basically flawed?? > > > > > > > > > > I think your tactic is basically flawed. > > > > > > > >Would you care to elucidate? > > > > > > No. I think someone beat me. > > > > > > To it. > > > > > > Someone beat me to it. > > > > > > > I'm sorry to hear that. > > > > > > > > > > > > I don't understand the problem. If you're trapping for nulls >on > > > >input, > > > > > >how > > > > > > > can they be a problem on output? Do you want nulls or not? >What is > > > >the > > > > > > > problem? > > > > > > > > > > > >Output? Who mentioned output? The problem is with the use of >variables > > > >in > > > > > >the format section of the report. Where a variable may be set to >the > > > >value > > > > > >of > > > > > >a field, > > > > > >it is possible that it maybe NULL, NOT NULL or space padded. I >wanted > > > >to > > > > > >remove > > > > > >the possibility of space padded that's all. Sorry if it wasn't >clear. > > > > > > > > > > Ah. The missing link. :) > > > > > > > >Who? Me? How dare you!!! > > > > > > Well, let me offer that it's quite reasonable to assume that you are > > > outputting data if you're using a report writer. My mistake, anyway. > > > > > > > O Sterculie, you do mistake my meaning. The fault was mine alone for not > > supplying sufficient information. I merely jest. Now, what was it I wise >man > > once told me? Ah, yes. "The clue is in the words...". > > > > > > > > > > >Jonathan supplied me with a quick solve, which I should have >found > > > >myself, > > > > > > > > > > A quick solve? What part of Essex are you from, then? And isn't >Daryl an > > > >odd > > > > > name for a girl? > > > > > > > >Does it show that much? I agree Daryl is an odd name for a girl. What >are > > > >you > > > >trying > > > >to say? > > > > > > The clue is in the words .... > > > > > > > Do you perchance have any other pseudonyms? Araucaria, Rufus, perhaps? > > > > > > > > > > >Thanks for my baptism by fire. You were quite kind really. I >shall not > > > >be > > > > > >so > > > > > >tentative > > > > > >next time. > > > > > > > > > > I must be losing my touch. Was this better? > > > > > > > >Much better!! Saved by your Latin. Still room for improvement, one >feels!!! > > > >8O) > > > > > > Futue te ipsum et caballum tuum... > > > > I appear to have received a comment intended for Caligula by mistake! > > > > necesse non est caput in ano habere ut stercum dictes, amice. > > > > > > > > >________________________________________________________________________ > > > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at >http://www.hotmail.com ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > From: "Art S. Kagel" <kagel@bloomberg.net> > > > >If you guys don't watch it I'll have to start posting in Hebrew to > >retaliate! > > As long as you don't use language like he's using!! :-) For the record: YOU STARTED IT!!! Nah nah nah nah nah. Daryl. > > > >Daryl Craig-Elliot wrote: > > > > > > Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > > > > > > > From: Daryl Craig-Elliot <daryl@tcrs.freeserve.co.uk> > > > > > > > > > >Sorry for the delay in replying. Time off for good behaviour!! > > > > > > > > Oh good. I was starting to get worried. > > > > > > > > > > How nice. You must be slipping!! > > > > > > > > > > > >Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > From: Daryl Craig-Elliot <daryl@tcrs.freeserve.co.uk> > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: Daryl Craig-Elliot <daryl@tcrs.freeserve.co.uk> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >This is my first posting to this group so... a little message > >for > > > > > > > > >Obnoxio (if you're reading) "Please be nice". > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > No. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >I suppose I asked for that really. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Never having had the luxury of NULLs on my original system I > >had to > > > > > > > > >decide how best to utilise them. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Eh? You didn't have NULLs on your original system? > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Not as part of Informix, no. According to Jonathan Leffler they > > > > >weren't > > > > > > >implemented until > > > > > > >ISQL 2.00. > > > > > > > > > > > > You had a pre-2.x ISQL? I'm impressed. > > > > > > > > > >I wouldn't be. Unfortunately, until recently, I have been stuck in a > >time > > > > >warp. > > > > > > > > Oh dear, hope you didn't ladder your fishnet stockings... (one from > >the > > > > vaults... 80) > > > > > > > > > > No I managed to avoid it with a just a jump to the left and a step to > >the right. > > > > > > > > > > > >I am now struggling to grips with IDS and all that it entails. > > > > > > > > Been on training? Might be a useful shortcut, because it is one > >helluva > > > > jump. > > > > > > > > > > No I haven't. I have always survived by RTFMing like mad. Whenever I > >look at a > > > course itinerary it either breaks down into 75% things I already know, > >20% > > > things I'll never use & 5% useful information, or, 5% I already know, > >20% useful > > > & 75% straight over my head!!! Maybe I've not been looking at the right > >courses. > > > But so far I seem to have been lucky. The system I am working on is very > >small. > > > With the exception of the NULL issue I have had to make very few changes > >to > > > achieve a working system. I must admit though, it is quite difficult > >typing with > > > ones fingers crossed!! 8O) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >I settled on using NULL wherever poss. and disallowing blank > > > > >entries on > > > > > > > > >all char fields. They seemed > > > > > > > > >to serve no useful purpose on our very small system and > >besides it > > > > >was > > > > > > > > >as good as any tactic I could > > > > > > > > >think of. I hoped it would standardise the creation of new > >'forms' > > > > >& > > > > > > > > >'reports'. i.e. you know you only > > > > > > > > >have to check for NULL and not empty string or indeed a > >string full > > > > >or > > > > > > > > >partially full of spaces! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You know, it's amazing. They're all English words, but when > >you > > > > >string > > > > > > >them > > > > > > > > together like that, it doesn't make sense... > > > > > > > > > > > > > >I'm sorry maybe some punctuation was in order. Would you prefer > >it > > > > >Latin > > > > > > >next > > > > > > >time. > > > > > > > > > > > > Latin's cool -- caput tuum in ano est! > > > > > > > > > >Be nice!! How's you're Ancient Greek? Mine's a little shaky. I hope > >this is > > > > >correct; > > > > > > > > > > kai apo te'n procton! > > > > > > > > Podex perfectus est! > > > > > > > > > > semper podices dictus. > > > > > > > > > > > >I have RTFMed and trawled the web but can find nothing about > >this > > > > > > > > >problem. Am I missing something or is > > > > > > > > >my tactic basically flawed?? > > > > > > > > > > > > I think your tactic is basically flawed. > > > > > > > > > >Would you care to elucidate? > > > > > > > > No. I think someone beat me. > > > > > > > > To it. > > > > > > > > Someone beat me to it. > > > > > > > > > > I'm sorry to hear that. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I don't understand the problem. If you're trapping for nulls > >on > > > > >input, > > > > > > >how > > > > > > > > can they be a problem on output? Do you want nulls or not? > >What is > > > > >the > > > > > > > > problem? > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Output? Who mentioned output? The problem is with the use of > >variables > > > > >in > > > > > > >the format section of the report. Where a variable may be set to > >the > > > > >value > > > > > > >of > > > > > > >a field, > > > > > > >it is possible that it maybe NULL, NOT NULL or space padded. I > >wanted > > > > >to > > > > > > >remove > > > > > > >the possibility of space padded that's all. Sorry if it wasn't > >clear. > > > > > > > > > > > > Ah. The missing link. :) > > > > > > > > > >Who? Me? How dare you!!! > > > > > > > > Well, let me offer that it's quite reasonable to assume that you are > > > > outputting data if you're using a report writer. My mistake, anyway. > > > > > > > > > > O Sterculie, you do mistake my meaning. The fault was mine alone for not > > > supplying sufficient information. I merely jest. Now, what was it I wise > >man > > > once told me? Ah, yes. "The clue is in the words...". > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Jonathan supplied me with a quick solve, which I should have > >found > > > > >myself, > > > > > > > > > > > > A quick solve? What part of Essex are you from, then? And isn't > >Daryl an > > > > >odd > > > > > > name for a girl? > > > > > > > > > >Does it show that much? I agree Daryl is an odd name for a girl. What > >are > > > > >you > > > > >trying > > > > >to say? > > > > > > > > The clue is in the words .... > > > > > > > > > > Do you perchance have any other pseudonyms? Araucaria, Rufus, perhaps? > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanks for my baptism by fire. You were quite kind really. I > >shall not > > > > >be > > > > > > >so > > > > > > >tentative > > > > > > >next time. > > > > > > > > > > > > I must be losing my touch. Was this better? > > > > > > > > > >Much better!! Saved by your Latin. Still room for improvement, one > >feels!!! > > > > >8O) > > > > > > > > Futue te ipsum et caballum tuum... > > > > > > I appear to have received a comment intended for Caligula by mistake!@