Re: comparing null value in plpgsql. - Mailing list pgsql-bugs

From Stephan Szabo
Subject Re: comparing null value in plpgsql.
Date
Msg-id 20020311001349.O39819-100000@megazone23.bigpanda.com
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: comparing null value in plpgsql.  (Bhuvan A <bhuvansql@yahoo.com>)
List pgsql-bugs
On Mon, 11 Mar 2002, Bhuvan A wrote:

>
>
> On Mar 10, Stephan Szabo wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 11 Mar 2002, Bhuvan A wrote:
> >
> > > here i have a problem in comparing null values in plpgsql. this exist
> > > in 7.1.x and 7.2 as well.
> > >
> > > the condition <null value> != <valid value> fails in plpgsql.
> > > consider this function is triggered on every updation on a table.
> > >
> > >   create function ftest()
> > >   returns opaque as 'declare
> > >
> > >   begin
> > >
> > >     if new.comp_code != old.comp_code then
> > >       ...
> > >     end if;
> > >     return new;
> > >   end;'
> > >   language 'plpgsql';
> > >
> > > this condition fails if old.comp_code is null and new.comp_code has
> > > some value.
> >
> > <nullvalue> != <anything> is not true, it's unknown, so the if shouldn't
>
>   what do you mean by <nullvalue> != <anything>?

If you compare a NULL with anything you don't get a true value whether
you're comparing with =, !=, <, >, etc...  That's how it's defined to
behave.

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