Thread: Access bool integer solution

I've been having problems with bools in my Access frontend and
PostGreSQL backend. The problem is that Access uses -1 for true and 0
for false and when it does a select it uses those numbers instead of the
true or false values. PostGreSQL does not have an implicit conversion
from int to bool, so it was failing was with an error "Operator does not
exist: boolean=integer"
I got around this in my queries by using the cbool function, which
passed in the actual true or false values. This solution did not work
for internal filters, because it internally calls the select statement
and does not give an interface to the code.

Using PostGreSQL flexibility and extensibility I have solved this
problem by defining an = and <> operator between int and boolean.

I hope this code can help someone else, as I couldn't find any real
solution in the archives, but I saw the same question a number of times.

create or replace function inttobool(num int,val bool) returns bool as
$$
begin
if num=0 and not val then
    return true;
elsif num<>0 and val then
    return true;
else return false;
end if;
end;
$$ language 'plpgsql';
create or replace function inttobool(val bool, num int) returns bool as
$$
begin
    return inttobool(num,val);
end;
$$ language 'plpgsql';
create or replace function notinttobool(val bool, num int) returns bool as
$$
begin
    return not inttobool(num,val);
end;
$$ language 'plpgsql';
create or replace function notinttobool(num int, val bool) returns bool as
$$
begin
    return not inttobool(num,val);
end;
$$ language 'plpgsql';

CREATE OPERATOR = (
     leftarg = integer,
     rightarg = boolean,
     procedure = inttobool,
     commutator = =,
     negator = !=
);
CREATE OPERATOR = (
     leftarg = boolean,
     rightarg = integer,
     procedure = inttobool,
     commutator = =,
     negator = !=
);
CREATE OPERATOR <> (
     leftarg = integer,
     rightarg = boolean,
     procedure = notinttobool,
     commutator = <>,
     negator = =
);
CREATE OPERATOR <> (
     leftarg = boolean,
     rightarg = integer,
     procedure = notinttobool,
     commutator = <>,
     negator = =
);


Sim Zacks

Sim Zacks wrote:
> I've been having problems with bools in my Access frontend and
> PostGreSQL backend. The problem is that Access uses -1 for true and 0
> for false and when it does a select it uses those numbers instead of the
> true or false values. PostGreSQL does not have an implicit conversion
> from int to bool, so it was failing was with an error "Operator does not
> exist: boolean=integer"
> I got around this in my queries by using the cbool function, which
> passed in the actual true or false values. This solution did not work
> for internal filters, because it internally calls the select statement
> and does not give an interface to the code.

Are you sure there isn't a setting in the ODBC driver to handle this?

--
   Richard Huxton
   Archonet Ltd

There are 3 bool possibilities in the ODBC driver
1) bools as char
2) true = -1
3) default (whatever that is, neither option is chosen)

When it is the default (my current setting) or (True =-1 and not bools
as char), then Access recognizes the data type as Yes/No. However, if
you do a comparison in any query you get the operator does not exist
error, unless you use the cbool function to convert the field that
access recognizes as a bool but considers an integer, from an integer to
a real bool.

When bools as char is chosen and not true=-1 then access sees it as a
single character and you cannot click on a checkbox because Access tries
to put in a -1 which is 2 characters. However, queries work without any
extra functions.

When bools as char and True=-1 are chosen then Access see it as a 2
character field, so it should accept the -1, but it gives an error that
-1 does not fit in the field.


Richard Huxton wrote:
> Sim Zacks wrote:
>> I've been having problems with bools in my Access frontend and
>> PostGreSQL backend. The problem is that Access uses -1 for true and 0
>> for false and when it does a select it uses those numbers instead of
>> the true or false values. PostGreSQL does not have an implicit
>> conversion from int to bool, so it was failing was with an error
>> "Operator does not exist: boolean=integer"
>> I got around this in my queries by using the cbool function, which
>> passed in the actual true or false values. This solution did not work
>> for internal filters, because it internally calls the select statement
>> and does not give an interface to the code.
>
> Are you sure there isn't a setting in the ODBC driver to handle this?
>