Re: BUG #1921: NULL<>NULL ?!?!?!?!?!?!? - Mailing list pgsql-bugs

From David Fetter
Subject Re: BUG #1921: NULL<>NULL ?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Date
Msg-id 20050929174156.GD7534@fetter.org
Whole thread Raw
In response to BUG #1921: NULL<>NULL ?!?!?!?!?!?!?  ("BogDan Vatra" <bog_dan_ro@yahoo.com>)
List pgsql-bugs
On Thu, Sep 29, 2005 at 09:38:54AM +0100, BogDan Vatra wrote:
>
> The following bug has been logged online:
>
> Bug reference:      1921
> Logged by:          BogDan Vatra
> Email address:      bog_dan_ro@yahoo.com
> PostgreSQL version: 8.0.3
> Operating system:   win xp pro
> Description:        NULL<>NULL ?!?!?!?!?!?!?
> Details:
>
> Please execute this query:
>
> create table test (id serial, tt varchar(50));
> insert into test (tt) values(NULL);
> select tt from test where tt=NULL;
>
> This should return 1 row but ...
> An then try
>
> select tt from test where tt<>NULL;
>
> 0 row(s) !!!

It is not a bug.  NULL isn't a datum.  It's a state of ignorance.  If
I don't know what your birthday is and I don't know what your
coworker's birthday is, I also don't know whether they are equal, and
so the only right answer to "Is BogDan's birthday unequal to his
coworker's?" is "I don't know."

HTH :)

Cheers,
D
--
David Fetter david@fetter.org http://fetter.org/
phone: +1 510 893 6100   mobile: +1 415 235 3778

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