subtenante wrote:
> On 14 May 2007 06:38:16 -0700, Captain Paralytic
> <paul_lautman@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Quite useful for functions such as COALESCE though.
>
> I would rather say the reverse : COALESCE is quite useful when you
> have NULLs, but it doesn't mean you must use them just because they
> have handy functions.

I'm amazed that you would say it that way round. I have only ever had one
application where COALESCE was useful. NULLs however are usefule for many
things as well as many functions (IFNULL(), IF(), ...)

When it comes down to it you choose the attributes of a field based on what
it needs to represent.

But to sugges that just because a field is NULL, COALESCE becomes quite
useful is rather unbelieveble.