Re: How does PostgreSQL treat null values in unique composite - Mailing list pgsql-general

From Bill Colls
Subject Re: How does PostgreSQL treat null values in unique composite
Date
Msg-id 3E931EAB.8040108@cbnlottery.com
Whole thread Raw
In response to How does PostgreSQL treat null values in unique composite constraints???  (P G <pg_dba@yahoo.com>)
List pgsql-general
Perhaps more exactly, an unknown value is not equal to any other unknown
value, and is therefore unique.

Dennis Gearon wrote:
> the sql paradigm says NULL is 'unknown'
>
> So, you can have unique values in a column, but the unknown ones are
> ignored. this can be very handy, but is best used only in date/date
> related fields because NULLS complicate many SQL statements.
>
> P G wrote:
>
>> I have the following table with a unique constraint.
>>
>> create table testt (
>> id int,
>> aa int,
>> bb int,
>> constraint pk_testt primary key (id),
>> constraint cons_testt unique (aa,bb));
>>
>> Let's say I insert the following:
>>
>> insert into testt values (1,2,null);
>> insert into testt values (2,2,null);
>>
>> I thought this should fail because of the unique
>> constraint, but it doesn't.  How does PostgreSQL view
>> the null values in this constraint?  Will someone
>> explain why I am allowed to make this insertion?
>>
>> TIA.
>>
>> __________________________________________________
>> Do you Yahoo!?
>> Yahoo! Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more
>> http://tax.yahoo.com
>>
>>
>> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
>> TIP 1: subscribe and unsubscribe commands go to majordomo@postgresql.org
>>
>
>
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 6: Have you searched our list archives?
>
> http://archives.postgresql.org


--
/* =============================================================== */

   William E. Colls                                         Manager
   Tel 613 225 6566 ext 2320         Applications Development Group
   Fax 613 225 6651                                   CBN Lotteries
   bcolls@cbnlottery.com                              www.cbnco.com


pgsql-general by date:

Previous
From: "Bruno Baguette"
Date:
Subject: Is the += or *= operator used in PostgreSQL ?
Next
From: Marc@news.hub.org, G.Fournier@news.hub.org, From@news.hub.org:
Date:
Subject: Re: The mail nttp gateway is still broken