Re: NULLS & ACE

From: Daryl Craig-Elliot <daryl@tcrs.freeserve.co.uk> > >Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > > > From: Daryl Craig-Elliot <daryl@tcrs.freeserve.co.uk> > > > > > >Hello to all. > > > > > >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 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! > > >Applying my 'rule' to input; not a problem. However, when I try and > > >convert the ACE reports I find that > > >unlike PERFORM there is no NULL assignment value. e.g. LET foobar = > > > > Oh? > >Sorry? No NULL assignment value? > > >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. > > 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. :) >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? >and I >am now happy. I'm so pleased. >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? ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

Sorry for the delay in replying. Time off for good behaviour!! 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> > > > > > > > >Hello to all. > > > > > > > >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. I am now struggling to grips with IDS and all that it entails. > > > > >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! > > > > >Applying my 'rule' to input; not a problem. However, when I try and > > > >convert the ACE reports I find that > > > >unlike PERFORM there is no NULL assignment value. e.g. LET foobar = > > > > > > Oh? > > > >Sorry? > > No NULL assignment value? > > > > >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? > > > > 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!!! > > > >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? > > >and I > >am now happy. > > I'm so pleased. > > >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) > > ________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com