From: | Josh Kupershmidt <schmiddy(at)gmail(dot)com> |
---|---|
To: | Jack Douglas <jack(at)douglastechnology(dot)co(dot)uk> |
Cc: | pgsql-docs(at)postgresql(dot)org |
Subject: | Re: boolean states |
Date: | 2011-04-29 01:20:39 |
Message-ID: | BANLkTimyUsgA-DvFi+AweMB4XXogUaMhDA@mail.gmail.com |
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On Wed, Apr 27, 2011 at 4:46 AM, Jack Douglas
<jack(at)douglastechnology(dot)co(dot)uk> wrote:
> The boolean type can have one of only two states: "true" or "false".
> A third state, "unknown", is represented by the SQL null value.
>
> This sounds like an oxymoron to me.
I'm not crazy about that paragraph's confusion between two and three
states either, but..
> Perhaps that sentence should be changed
> to:
>
> The boolean type can have one of three states: "true" or "false" and
> "unknown". The third state, "unknown", is represented by the SQL null value.
> or:
>
> The boolean type can have one of three states: "true" or "false" and
> null. The third state, null, represents the logical value "unknown".
I don't think either of these suggested replacements are any better.
First, a boolean column can be declared NOT NULL. Second, I don't like
the idea of misleading people into thinking that NULL is on equal
footing with the other values of a given datatype, particularly as
your first alternative implies.
I'd vote for just ripping out the:
| A third state, "unknown", is represented by the SQL null value.
sentence entirely. I see no reason why NULL should be talked about in
particular on the page about boolean data types; there are many data
types, any of which might be NULL.
I almost think it would be worthwhile to have a section in the docs on
the (counterintuitive) behaviors of NULL, such as this great post:
<http://thoughts.j-davis.com/2009/08/02/what-is-the-deal-with-nulls/>
-- or maybe just a link to that page.
Josh
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