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The data in my dabatase comes from an external source and where ever there is no data passed, I keep NULL in those places. Can anyone tell me if there are any implications in using NULL to represent empty value?
Should I follow some other convention like 'data_not_available'? or something like that?
Can anyone suggest?
I’ve always used NULL. I’ve seen arguments saying NULL was a hack and should never have been put into mainstream use and it’s now out of control, but I can’t think of a better way to treat something as having “no value.”
After all how you can represent a number as having no value? 0 is a value. -1 is a value. -9999999 is a value.
Also foreign keys depend on a NULL value to signify there is no related record.