Received: from malur.postgresql.org ([217.196.149.56]) by arkaria.postgresql.org with esmtp (Exim 4.80) (envelope-from ) id 1XRpnh-0004Xw-Hg for pgsql-docs@arkaria.postgresql.org; Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:51:41 +0000 Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=postgresql.org) by malur.postgresql.org with smtp (Exim 4.80) (envelope-from ) id 1XRpng-0007aG-W5 for pgsql-docs@arkaria.postgresql.org; Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:51:41 +0000 Received: from magus.postgresql.org ([2a02:c0:301:0:ffff::29]) by malur.postgresql.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA256:256) (Exim 4.80) (envelope-from ) id 1XRpnf-0007Xx-Iw for pgsql-docs@postgresql.org; Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:51:39 +0000 Received: from bay004-omc1s23.hotmail.com ([65.54.190.34]) by magus.postgresql.org with esmtp (Exim 4.80) (envelope-from ) id 1XRpnc-0002jX-Cg for pgsql-docs@postgresql.org; Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:51:38 +0000 Received: from BAY175-W48 ([65.54.190.61]) by BAY004-OMC1S23.hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(7.5.7601.22724); Wed, 10 Sep 2014 14:51:33 -0700 X-TMN: [bOrip9G5BOFeFlTRyqgiiij/t1bGWYf6] X-Originating-Email: [johnlumby@hotmail.com] Message-ID: From: John Lumby To: postgresql docmaillist Subject: NULL as a (pseudo-)value not described? Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:51:32 -0400 Importance: Normal Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable MIME-Version: 1.0 X-OriginalArrivalTime: 10 Sep 2014 21:51:33.0585 (UTC) FILETIME=[6313E410:01CFCD41] X-Pg-Spam-Score: -4.4 (----) List-Archive: List-Help: List-ID: List-Owner: List-Post: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: X-Mailing-List: pgsql-docs Precedence: bulk Sender: pgsql-docs-owner@postgresql.org As far as I can tell,=A0=A0=20 the un-value NULL is not described anywhere in the doc as being something that can be assigned to a column. E.g. : =A0=A0 .=A0 not listed as a constant=A0 (well that's reasonable as it isn't) =A0=A0=A0 .=A0 not listed as an expression=A0 (is NULL an expression?) =A0=A0=A0 .=A0 not explicitly listed under the INSERT and UPDATE commands =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 as a valid syntactic unit as an alternative to an expression =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 (If it is not an expression) I do see it listed as a valid keyword but there is no description there. To put it another way,=A0=A0 the following syntax is apparently not permitt= ed : =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 UPDATE my_nullable_table SET nullable_col =3D NULL; (I am not referring to other null-related constructs such as IS NULL,=A0 IF= NULL etc) I have to assume I'm missing something? Or is it that NULL is so,=A0 well,=A0 null,=A0=A0 that it cannot be describ= ed? John =20=09=09=20=09=20=20=20=09=09=20=20 --=20 Sent via pgsql-docs mailing list (pgsql-docs@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-docs