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From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
To: Michael Fuhr <mike@fuhr.org>
Cc: Merlin Moncure <merlin.moncure@rcsonline.com>
Cc: pgsql-docs@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: allballs
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 15:18:56 -0500
Message-ID: <24526.1106597936@sss.pgh.pa.us> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20050124200645.GA6126@winnie.fuhr.org>
References: <6EE64EF3AB31D5448D0007DD34EEB3412A75D9@Herge.rcsinc.local>
	<20050124200645.GA6126@winnie.fuhr.org>

Michael Fuhr <mike@fuhr.org> writes:
> "Allballs" is slang for "all zeros" because zeros look like balls.
> You hear it sometimes in environments that use a 24-hour clock
> (communications, military, etc.).  Here's an example:

> http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/basics/bsf2-3.html

> I don't know that "allballs" is specified in any standard, so I
> suspect that somebody who used the term added it to PostgreSQL
> (or whatever it was called at the time) for convenience.

I'm sure it isn't in any SQL standard ;-).  Tom Lockhart is doubtless
responsible for it being in our code; I suppose he put it in because it
is in reasonably common use at JPL.

			regards, tom lane



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