Speaking of decode, this would be another valuable function to have.
-----Original Message-----From: Ross J. Reedstrom [SMTP:reedstrm@rice.edu]Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 1999 4:59
PMTo: hackers@postgreSQL.orgSubject: Re: [HACKERS] Associative Operators? (Was: Re:
[NOVICE] Out of frying pan, into fire)
Clark Evans wrote:> <snipped discussion of 'something || NULL ' returning non-NULL>
> However, I'm unaware of any other exceptions in the Oracle> database on this issue. I believe that user defined
functions>are not allowed to have special NULL treatment -- perhaps> Oracle has DECODE and NVL hard coded deep in the
gutsof> their query processor, while the other functions arn't.> > Would a compromise be to add DECODE and NVL ?
What do DECODE and NVL do?
Ross-- Ross J. Reedstrom, Ph.D., <reedstrm@rice.edu> NSBRI Research Scientist/ProgrammerComputer and Information
TechnologyInstituteRice University, 6100 S. Main St., Houston, TX 77005