Re: NULLS & ACE

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. >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) >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. > > > > >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! > > > > >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 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. > > >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 .... > > >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... ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

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

If you guys don't watch it I'll have to start posting in Hebrew to retaliate! Art S. Kagel 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

"Art S. Kagel" wrote: > If you guys don't watch it I'll have to start posting in Hebrew to > retaliate! In which case: Baruch ha ba b'shem Adonai. & one in the Obnoxio vein: Haya zooz - nathan rosh tov. (I think!) Daryl. > > Art S. Kagel > > 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