XPost: comp.databases.oracle.misc, comp.databases.oracle.server   
   From: empty@zero.nil   
      
   Thu, 21 Oct 2004 11:40:48 -0400 Mark C. Stock    
   wrote:   
   >   
   > yes, in theory, the SQL Server approach is more 'pure', but in practice,   
   > the   
   > Oracle approach is more practical (i'm starting to sound like yogi   
   > berra!)   
      
   Agreed. IMO the most plausible argument for the Oracle approach   
   is the observation that allowing exactly one row with a null value   
   in a certain column would mean that   
   1)   
   The column value is  "identifying" the row (unique constraint).   
   2)   
   NULL - an undefined value - is an "identifying" value.   
      
   which does not make sense for me.   
   --   
   Frank Piron,   
   etfrankatkonaddotn   
   (leftrotate two)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)