Jim, >How should a data exchange language deal with this? With a typed cell but >no value? For example > >In WDDX you might see: <number></number> > >In YODEL you might see: <d type="number"></d> > >In XML-RPC you might see: <value><i4></i4></value>
The problem w/any data exchange language is your potentially exchanging data between 2 different languages that aren't really compatible. For example, ColdFusion has no concept of null data. JavaScript actually has two different states of variables without values--undefined and null (which are completely different beasts in JavaScript.) Because of this, you're always going to have to make some assumptions and you always have the possibility of "losing" state. For example, exchanging data between JS to CF and back to JS would cause you to "loose" any null values. Here's what I'd probably do. If you really want to mark data as null, use an attribute to flag data as null: <d type="number" null="true" />. This will allow you to pass the idea of null between platforms that support it. You're always going to have problems exchanging to data to CF and back again. If the value is null, CF is going to end up treating it like a string. There's unfortunately no way to force CF to maintain a data type. I guess if deserialized the data in CF from another language, you could keep a hash table of what each variable was originally and then maintain those datatypes if the data is serialized again. Nothing's going to be perfect though... -Dan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Logware (www.logware.us): a new and convenient web-based time tracking application. Start tracking and documenting hours spent on a project or with a client with Logware today. Try it for free with a 15 day trial account. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=67 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:227097 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
