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From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
To: stayler@washoecounty.us
Cc: pgsql-sql@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: varchar value comparisons not working?
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:32:08 -0400
Message-ID: <24329.1240583528@sss.pgh.pa.us> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <1240581570.21067.18.camel@shop.telecom.co.washoe.nv.us>
References: <1240581570.21067.18.camel@shop.telecom.co.washoe.nv.us>

Shawn Tayler <stayler@washoecounty.us> writes:
> I run the following:

> select sfd.lid as sflid,sd.lid as slid,sfd.serial from sfd,shawns_data
> sd where sfd.serial = sd.serial_number order by sfd.lid; 

> the lid columns in both tables should be identical, but as you see in
> this sample, they do differ:

>  sflid | slid  |  serial  
> -------+-------+----------
>  14056 | 14056 | 9614583
>  14057 |       | 9614984
>  14058 | 14058 | 9614737
>  14059 | 14059 | 9614579
>  14060 |       | 9614827
>  14061 | 14061 | 9614726
>  14062 | 14062 | 9614966
>  14063 | 14063 | 9615079

> So running this query:

> select count(*) from sfd,shawns_data sd where sfd.serial = sd.serial_number and sfd.lid != sd.lid; 

> I should show some rows that do not match, at least 2 (there are more than shown).  

> But instead I get this:

>  count 
> -------
>      0
> (1 row)

Probably those "blank" values of slid are really NULLs.  A NULL isn't
"equal to" something else, but it isn't "unequal" either.  You could
use IS DISTINCT FROM instead of != in your second query.

			regards, tom lane



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