|
|
Posted by --CELKO-- on 09/26/06 16:14
>> Wouldn't using a default value at least avoid the issues of using NULL per se?? <<
What issues? This is a nominal value, not a numeric value. All your
default would do in sort like any other string.
Back in the COBOL days, we use to use all 9's for missing values. You
just held that key down and let it repeat until you got the the end of
the field of the punch card. The missing values would sort to the end
of the reports. In FORTRAN, we left the fields un-punched, and they
were read as all 0's and woudl sort to the top of the reports.
In fact, if you look at a number of standard codes, such as ICD, they
follow these convention today.
Navigation:
[Reply to this message]
|